'I still don’t know why' - The £40m Celtic transfer misstep which baffles ex-star and Everton claim

Former Hibs boss Alan Stubbs still doesn’t “know why” Celtic failed to sign John McGinn under Brendan Rodgers.

The Scotland star attracted plenty of attention when he was a key player in the Hibs midfield, first under Stubbs then Neil Lennon, with Aston Villa the team to step up and sign the player in the summer of 2018 for what has been a snip at around £2million.

McGinn was linked heavily with a move to Celtic but a move along the M8 never materialised with the Scottish Premiership champions signing Youssouf Mulumbu at the end of that transfer window. Ex-Celt Stubbs is unsure why his former club didn’t follow through with the deal and even suggested the player to Everton when he realised then Hibs chief executive was keen to sell him to a big club.

"The best player I coached and managed was John McGinn at Hibs,” Stubbs told Grosvenor Sport. “He was a pleasure to work with. He had a fantastic attitude, always desperate to play at the top level. Celtic were interested and I still don’t know why Brendan Rodgers didn’t make that deal happen because the fee would have been lower than the fee we would get if he went to England.

“I told Everton to make the investment because I knew he would be a very good player and they could get him for £3million. What’s he worth now? £40million plus? Typical Everton, they didn’t do it and now Aston Villa are reaping the benefits. I spoke to Everton when it became clear that Leann Dempster was looking to lure one of the big boys to come and sign him.”