New Aston Villa, John McGinn update may still have Blackburn Rovers lingering with pain | OneFootball

John McGinn and Blackburn Rovers' recent fortunes could have panned out very differently

Throughout the course of any football club's history, there have been several examples of near misses in the transfer market that could, ultimately, have changed its subsequent trajectory.

Blackburn Rovers are no exception to such rules either, with the East Lancashire side and their supporters, unsurprisingly, not wanting to be left reminded of several instances where future stars at English, British, European or worldwide levels were agonisingly close to an Ewood Park move before enjoying stellar careers elsewhere.

Two of the most famous examples on this particular front are French playmaker and icon, Zinedine Zidane, who was the subject of famous quotes from legendary Rovers owner, Jack Walker, who stated that it was unnecessary for the North West club to acquire his services due to the impact Tim Sherwood was having on his team at the time, having previously been a part of the club's famous 1994/95 Premier League title-winning side under Sir Kenny Dalglish.

Another instance is when Polish goalscorer extraordinare, Robert Lewandowski, had been given the green-light to move to the then-top flight side in 2010 after impressing for Lech Poznan, before the transfer fell through as ash clouds as a result of Icelandic volcano eruptions had seen all UK-based flights suspended, as well as further financial concerns surrounding the deal.

However, in the present, Rovers supporters, who have rarely seen their club threaten to end a Premier League hiatus since relegation in 2012, have been served yet another reminder of a transfer miss, as Tony Mowbray's former midfield target, John McGinn, is set to extend his stay at the continuously upwardly mobile Aston Villa, who he joined seven years ago when the Villans and Rovers were Championship equals.

Blackburn Rovers failed to land John McGinn's services after returning to the Championship

Mowbray had been in charge of Rovers for just over a year by the time the summer of 2018 rolled around, with the vastly-experienced boss enduring mixed fortunes in East Lancashire during the aforementioned timeframe, overseeing a first relegation to League One since 1980, before conducting a major squad reshuffle that ended in a first-time promotion, with the likes of Bradley Dack, in particular, grabbing the headlines.

Unsurprisingly, under the ownership of The Venky's, not much cash was splashed following promotion, although the former Celtic boss was able to make several shrewd additions such as Adam Armstrong, Jack Rodwell, Joe Rothwell and Ben Brereton Diaz.

Those players, who had previously or have subsequently gone on to forge successful careers in the Premier League and Championship could have been joined as incomings by McGinn, who had impressed north of the border for Hibernian, scoring 17 times and posting 29 assists in 136 appearances for the Edinburgh side after joining from St Mirren.

It was reported that just days before the unusual transfer deadline of August 9th, 2018 - that Rovers had joined the race to sign the energetic midfielder alongside Celtic. However, both were unsuccessful as the now-Villa and multiple-time Scottish captain had moved to the West Midlands as one of Steve Bruce's final signings in B6 for just £3m.

John McGinn could have had Aston Villa-style impact at Ewood Park - midfielder is set for another contract extension

Just weeks after moving to the Second City, one of the Scot's first appearances for Villa came at Ewood in a televised 1-1 draw, with Mowbray admitting afterwards that he was on Blackburn's radar.

“John was on the radar, it’s good for him to come to England and test himself," he said.

McGinn was an integral part of the Villa squad who, by the end of the campaign, had put their early-season woes behind them and ended a three-year exile from the Premier League under Dean Smith, with the summer recruit netting an all-important goal at Wembley in the play-off final win over Derby County.

Since then, the 30-year-old - alongside Tyrone Mings - has remained a constant link between the Villans' past, present and future ambitions, lasting as a regular fixture in the starting lineup under Smith, Steven Gerrard and now Unai Emery as the club have asserted themselves as an established European outfit.

McGinn was named captain by Gerrard in July 2022, and has remained in the role despite initially looking like he could have left Villa Park before Emery sparked a rebirth into his and the overall club's on and off-pitch performances.

As such, the man who has netted three times already this season - including composed finishes against Bologna and Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa League - is set to sign another contract extension, with his current deal expiring in June 2026.

He is closing in on 300 competitive appearances for Villa also. Given his and the club's overall fortunes, such developments will only add to the regret felt by those two hours north at Ewood Park, who have known nothing but frustration and missed opportunities in recent times.