Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn believes Celtic would have completed a deal for him in 2018 if he had not been a boyhood fan and his grandfather Jack had not served as the club's chairman.
The 31-year-old Scotland international looked set to move to Parkhead before the transfer collapsed, with Hibs and Villa eventually agreeing a £2.8million deal. Brendan Rodgers was keen to sign McGinn, and the aborted move came months before the Irishman's first departure from Celtic.
McGinn's form with Villa culminated in a Europa League triumph last season under Unai Emery.
McGinn opens up on failed Parkhead move
Speaking on The Overlap, McGinn said: "I think the irony is: if [Jack] wasn’t my grandpa and I wasn’t a Celtic fan, I probably would be a Celtic player. I think they felt, because I was a Celtic fan, it would just happen. Nobody else would come in, and Hibs would crumble."
McGinn praised his former club Hibs for their role in allowing him to wait for Celtic. He added: "Hibs were amazing at the time. They said, ‘We’re not going to stand in your way. We know you want to be a Celtic player, but they need to pay us what you’re worth.’ So I gave them my word that, ‘All right, that’s fine. You won’t stand in my way, but I’ll wait until they pay what I’m worth.’"
"And it never, ever got there. I can’t remember exactly. I think it was two or three million at the time. I think they bid a few times."
Grandpa's advice during talks
McGinn also detailed how his grandfather, who served as Celtic chairman between 1986 and 1991, was contacted during the negotiations. McGinn said: "They actually phoned my grandpa to try and influence me at the time. But he had a good relationship with both sides. He trusted me and my agent. And he said, ‘Listen, nothing to do with me. If you’ve got the money, pay the money. And John will play for Celtic.’"
The move never materialised, and McGinn went on to achieve success with Aston Villa, including the Europa League title.
