Aston Villa give clear response to enquiry over star player

The Toffees are thought to have made a tentative enquiry on the availability of McGinn, who is preparing for his eighth season at Villa Park.

But Villa have no interest in selling their skipper and longest-serving player, who remains a key part of boss Unai Emery’s plans.

McGinn made 49 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring six goals including a strike against Paris Saint-Germain voted goal of the season by the club’s supporters.

The 30-year-old Scotland international, who joined from Hibernian for £2.5million in 2018, has been a central part of the club’s rise from the Championship to the Premier League top six and is on course to pass the 300 appearance mark this season.

Fellow midfielder Amadou Onana, the club’s £50m record signing, recently outlined the importance of McGinn to the squad.

He told the Insider Scoop podcast: “He's a great teammate, a great club captain. For me, he doesn't get the flowers he deserves. 

“What John McGinn does on a football pitch, you need that on your team. He's really important to us. We don't even understand the importance of that guy in the dressing room. He keeps everyone together. He's a great guy."

While Villa were recently fined £9.5m by Uefa for breaching their financial rules, the club insist they are under no pressure to sell a big-name star this summer.

A high-profile sale could still happen, with the future of goalkeeper Emi Martinez still the subject of much speculation.

But Villa are yet to receive a formal approach for the Argentina international, who is due to report back for pre-season training next week.