According to The Athletic, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp is a keen admirer of Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, although his price-tag could be a major stumbling block if the Reds were to pursue a deal.

What's the latest transfer news involving John McGinn? 

The Athletic claim that Liverpool's interest in Scotland international McGinn is very real, however a deal this summer seems unlikely for the Reds.

The report suggests that Villa would demand a fee in the region of £45m-£50m for the midfielder and conversations between the two sides are not expected to go ahead in this transfer window.

[gmsStartingEleven url="https://givemesport.starting11.co.uk/2019-06-17/"]

Is Klopp a fan of McGinn? 

He certainly appears to be.

The Athletic reveals that Klopp has been encouraged by performances from the 26-year-old in recent seasons and the German manager even asked Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson if the all-action midfielder ever stops running on a matchday.

Scotland captain Robertson knows all about the Villa star's quality as they play together on the international stage. The pair were knocked out of the European Championships this week after suffering a defeat to Croatia, although the side were impressive in their draw against England.

Versus England, no player made more tackles than McGinn with three, and the Villa man's importance to Scotland is by no means limited to this summer's tournament. 

Is Andre Silva heading to Arsenal?! Hear the latest gossip on The Football Terrace...

Does McGinn have any other admirers?

Manchester City legend Yaya Toure made specific mention of McGinn when writing a rather unique column about the importance of footballers' bums for The Athletic, while also praising his performance against the Three Lions. 

The former midfielder scribed; "What impressed me in that game was how disciplined John McGinn was in midfield, taking the ball from the defence and protecting it from England players before making the pass.

"If you look at a picture of McGinn, you can see he has very powerful legs and hips, and there were times where you could see him get the ball with his back to an England player, smell the danger was coming and then use his bum to shield the ball from them. The bum is important as it can create a moment of space between you and another player, so you have more time with the ball."

How has McGinn performed against Liverpool this season?

Arguably the Scotland international's most notable performance in the Premier League this season came against Liverpool, as he was part of the Villa side that dismantled the Merseyside outfit to an embarrassing 7-2 defeat in October.

McGinn recorded one goal and one assist against Liverpool that day, and was awarded a WhoScored rating of 9.37.

The 26-year-old completed more dribbles than any other player on the pitch with four and created one key pass. The Scotland international also made more interceptions than any player in Villa's side with three and he registered an additional three tackles.

Would McGinn be a good replacement for Gini Wijnaldum?

Arguably, yes.

Despite not being the flashiest name linked to Liverpool, his energy and enthusiasm in the middle of park bears similarities to former Reds midfielder Wijnaldum, who left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer upon the expiry of his contract at Anfield.

At 26 years old, McGinn is approaching his prime and he could be a wise, ready made replacement for the Dutchman with Premier League experience to hand.

If Liverpool could whittle the box to box midfielder’s price tag down from Villa’s reported demands of £45m-£50m, then there is no reason why he couldn’t do a job in the Reds’ workmanlike midfield next season.