How Emery could bring the next John McGinn to Aston Villa this summer

Aston Villa ended a 30-year trophy drought when they thrashed Freiburg in May and lifted the Europa League.

Unai Emery was the architect, having built an incredible team over four thrilling years, rising up and up and now standing proud as a title-winning outfit.

However, this meteoric rise hasn’t been without its drawbacks, and the £117m sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea earlier this week could sting for a while.

He’s been a talisman for the Villans over the past few years, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. There are more focal players still in the squad – take John McGinn, for example.

How John McGinn became Emery’s main man

When Emery took charge at Villa Park, McGinn was captain, but he underwent something of a tactical change during those early months, converted into a right-sider after spending several matches starting from the bench.

Call it a critical juncture. It’s one that McGinn navigated with masterful control, now recognised as one of the defining stars of his era, perhaps the man of the moment after Villa lifted European gold to crown several years of tireless, tenacious graft.

McGinn is a central midfielder by trade, but he has played all over, something of a jack-of-all-trades, perhaps. His stocky, powerful build and sure-footed running style makes him the heartbeat of Emery’s system, charging the essence of the squad and sparking his teammates into life.

The 31-year-old notched nine goal involvements across 30 Premier League matches last season, but he also won the ball back with a fierce intensity, and he drew so many fouls across the term. In Europe, he was more prolific still, still industrious in his defending, but with a marked focus on getting into space and sending his outfit through to the next round. It worked.

He has been ever-present across four seasons, and Emery hailed him as a “very good example for players” to follow, and given that he signed a new contract in November 2025, expect to see him sticking around for the next few years, at least.

However, nothing lasts forever, and there will come a day when the Scotland superstar no longer musters the same outrageous athleticism, no longer projects the same unrelenting pressure onto opponents.

Aston Villa could do with a long-term successor, and they may even have one in their sights.

Aston Villa explore move to sign the new McGinn

Much is shifting across Aston Villa’s midfield area this summer. Youri Tielemans has signed for Aston Villa; Amadou Onana ruptured his ACL with Belgium at the World Cup, and now faces many months out.

Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi have both been side, countering the setbacks and freshening-up the ranks, but Aston Villa could still do with another piece to complete the puzzle, and it might come in the form of Everton’s James Garner.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke on X, the Villa “made an approach for him in January”, but Everton would not entertain interest in one of their star players at the season’s midpoint.

Now, O’Rourke has confirmed that past intrigue is crystallising once more, plotting to take the 25-year-old away from Merseyside in the coming weeks, ahead of the new Premier League season.

It’s difficult to understand where Garner would fall on the financial scales, but BBC reporter Matt Jones said he should be “£80m as a minimum in the current market“.

Garner signed a new contract with Everton in January, significantly strengthening their position, but that’s not to say a deal could not be struck, with this all-action bundle of energy exactly what the long-term Villa project needs.

Last season, he won more tackles + interceptions than any other player in the division, also making significant headway in terms of his creativity, placing a career-best seven assists and creating 12 big chances.

Like McGinn, Three Lions star Garner is capable of dominating across the pitch with his physicality and willingness to duel. In fact, he outstrips McGinn in that regard, maybe channelling his energy and intensity into something more tangible than that of his Scottish counterpart.

The overinflated nature of the midfield market this summer does give Everton plenty of power at the negotiation table. Elliot Anderson joined Manchester City for £116m, and the Toffees might argue that Garner is not a world apart from his countryman.

But Aston Villa’s interest is genuine, and they know that by signing him, they might just land the perfect McGinn replacement for the long run.