John McGinn was in electric form for Aston Villa this season and at times, threatened to steal the spotlight away from attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
On the chalkboard
Grealish, of course, has become a staple of the back page, as he is repeatedly linked with a move to Manchester United, who were also said to be interested in signing McGinn last year.
Grealish is said to be worth £70m but the form of the Scotland international before his injury was such that one has to feel he is being vastly underrated.
Per WhoScored, McGinn has made 18 Premier League appearances this season, scoring three goals and registering two assists. In addition to that, he averages 2.1 shots per game, 1.5 key passes, 2.3 dribbles, and is fouled 2.2 times.
Defensively, he also makes 2.5 tackles and 0.9 interceptions, along with a passing accuracy of 82.1%.
Red Herring or Real Hero: Only hardcore Villa fans will get all of them right….
Tellingly, he has the same amount of shots per game as Grealish, more dribbles, and is far more impactful in defence.
He is 25, and given that this is his first season at Premier League level, having previously played in Scotland’s top-flight and the Championship, he has shown that he belongs in such company in a highly impressive season.
Water-carrier
It remains to be seen if Villa will be able to stay in the division, given that they are currently in the drop zone.
But McGinn and Grealish were doing everything they could to keep them from dropping through the trap door and into the Championship.
To coin an analogy, one has to think that McGinn carries the water for Dean Smith’s side and that Grealish turns it into wine.
While his form has been excellent, it is the latter who gets the credit, with the former remaining a remarkably underrated presence. Unfortunately for the Scot, he hasn’t played since December and an ankle fracture has meant Grealish has risen to prominence instead. McGinn, on the other hand, has rather been forgotten about.
That needs to change.
Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a potentially pointless swoop for a youngster at a Midlands rival!
