Arsenal: 12 Granit Xhaka transfer replacements

John McGinn – Aston Villa

Who is Aston Villa’s most important player? Jack……McGinn? John Grealish?

Jack Grealish’s absence through injury at the beginning of the year had an immediate impact on the club’s results, but for all the losses in the final third, take John McGinn out of the side and the Villans lose all their control and tempo dictation.

What Arteta desires in all of his players, not just his midfielders, is the idea of total football. That in any given situation they can pick up the positions of a teammate and hold the fort. McGinn may not be a glamorous name but he’s someone who can operate across the midfield, whether deeper in front of the back four, in a double pivot alongside a destroyer (usually Douglas Luiz) or more advanced where his underappreciated vision can come into effect. In 37 Premier League outings he has three goals and six assists.

Creatively is where the Scotsman stands out, sitting in the 82nd percentile for SCA across Europe, with his dribbling ability also ranking him in similar numbers. Statistically not excelling in any one department, it is his all-round skillset and comfort in various shapes and opposition approaches that could work for Arsenal. Fans needn’t be reminded when Villa tore the Gunners to shreds at the Emirates with him, Grealish, Ross Barkley and Ollie Watkins interchanging with devastating effect. Not the quickest, he can still play in pacey teams.

If Arteta wants to move to a 4-3-3 then he can be the left-sided No. 8, while as the double pivot he is most used to he has a calmness in and out of possession that make him endearing.

Is he a marquee, tip-your-hat-to-KSE signing? Arguably not. What he is, however, is very underrated. Villa are not the same team without him.