"Had a word" - Reporter claims Sir Alex Ferguson influencing Man Utd agree in £50m swoop

Sir Alex Ferguson could be a key influence behind Manchester United reigniting their interest in Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, according to Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield. Ferguson's trophy-laden reign as the Red Devils' boss came to an end in 2013 but he remains a board member at Old Trafford. The Sun have revealed that McGinn is among Manchester United's targets ahead of the transfer window reopening next month. The report suggests Villa will be seeking a fee in the region of £50million for the central midfielder who Ferguson is known to be a "big fan" of.  Ralf Rangnick took over as the Red Devils' interim manager last week, replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following his sacking. January will present Rangnick with the only opportunity to freshen up his squad before he comes away from the dugout and enters a two-year consultancy role at the end of the season. McGinn has been a key member of Villa's side since joining from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian in 2018, with Manchester United legend Steve Bruce going on to admit spending £2million on the 27-year-old was the best piece of recruitment in his managerial career.