Exclusive: Kevin Phillips tips West Brom to pursue Aston Villa duo if they win promotion
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips believes that Aston Villa duo Tyrone Mings and John McGinn could be options for West Brom in the summer if they replace their rivals in the Premier League.
Albion have been promotion favourites almost all season with Slaven Bilic’s side currently sat second, six points clear of third, with nine matches to play of the currently-suspended Championship campaign.
Villa, on the other hand, are 19th in the Premier League and two points from safety with 10 games left to play.
There is still plenty of time for both sides to see their fortunes change but when asked if West Brom would poach anyone from their local rivals should they replace Villa in the top-flight, Phillips pointed straight to midfielder McGinn and centre-back Mings.
“I know John McGinn has been linked with bigger clubs and he’s certainly a player that excites us. He can be a potential one although West Brom would be fighting with other clubs for him,” Phillips told West Brom News.
“I’m not sure what the transfer fee would be considering he’s been out for a lot of the season so they might get something there.
“I’ve said all along that when you go up, you need a good centre-forward and good centre-halves down the spine of the team to survive.
“When I look at the Villa team, would Tyrone Mings be a player that West Brom would look at? He speaks very highly of the area and wouldn’t have to move so maybe that could be an option.”
McGinn, 25, made 20 appearances in all competitions for Villa this season, scoring three goals and supplying two assists, before an ankle injury in December ruled him out for a number of months.
The former Hibernian midfielder has a good left foot and is great at dictating the tempo of a match.
He has proven he can perform in the Premier League and Phillips is right to point him out as someone the Baggies should want if they win promotion.
As for 26-year-old Mings, he has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the team with the worst defensive record in the Premier League.
Most Aston Villa fans would agree that Bjorn Engels has been their best centre-back this season with Mings perhaps getting more attention because he earned his first England caps back in October.
In other West Brom news, Martin Tyler has shared what he likes about The Hawthorns.