BT Sport pundit Joe Cole has praised John McGinn for what he brings to the Aston Villa side, and has urged him to stay at the club.
McGinn joined the club in the summer of 2018, and with 16 goals and 21 assists during his time at Villa Park – including six goals and 10 assists during their promotion campaign out of the Championship in his first season – he’s arguably been one of their most important players in the past few years, alongside Jack Grealish.
Indeed, he’s certainly been a key contributor in the final third with his 27 key passes in the Premier League so far this season, which is 17 more than Jacob Ramsey has managed.
That form has attracted some admirers, with suggestions emerging in January that Manchester United are interested in taking a run at him during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Speaking about him on BT Sport before Aston Villa’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United, Cole was full of praise for the 27-year-old and claimed that for the good of his career, he would be better off staying at Villa Park and learning under his current boss Steven Gerrard.
He said: “On the ball, he does everything.
“He’s got lovely close control, he’s strong as an ox, he picks the right pass, he’s got a lovely weight of pass, his decision-making’s good. He’s well-drilled, he’s tactically good, he runs forward.
“And to add on top of all that, which midfielders sometimes neglect these days, he knows where the goal is.
“He’s one of them players that I think is underappreciated. Not at the club, but I think everywhere else. And he’s been linked with Manchester United, he’s well-loved here and he’ll be well-suited now for his development to stay here and learn from his manager.”
TIF Thoughts on Joe Cole’s comments about John McGinn at Aston Villa…
Has John McGinn been Villa's best player so far this season?
Yes
No
27-year-old McGinn is certainly in a good place right now at Aston Villa, and you could make the argument that he doesn’t really need to move in order to move forward in his career.
Given how Villa have gone about their business under Gerrard, with the signing of players like Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne, as well as the form that they have shown since Gerrard was appointed, they are certainly a team on the up under the former England captain.
And as Cole hints, if Gerrard can continue to mould McGinn into something similar to what he was as a player, then the Scot could turn into one of the key figures that will take Villa forward, negating the need for him to move to a club like Manchester United in order to progress in his career.
In other news: Another Grealish situation, Gerrard anxious: Worrying rumour emerges for Aston Villa – opinion