Liverpool Urged To Move In For This Aston Villa Midfielder: Can Gerrard Afford To Lose Him?

In a recent article with the Times (subscription required), former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino urged Liverpool to move in for Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn. Cascarino said,

“McGinn is good enough to be playing for a Champions League club and at 27 he’s still got the best years of his career ahead of him.

“He’s a goal threat and he is tough to shake off the ball.

“He’s got that same body shape Wayne Rooney had, but don’t mistake that for him being out of condition.

“I think he would suit the way Liverpool play and make a great replacement for Henderson.

“But Gerrard will know all of this and the Villa manager will do all he can to keep him.”

McGinn’s Excellent Form At Villa Park This Season

McGinn is having another solid campaign with the Villans after producing a run of influential displays for them in the Premier League. The Scottish midfield ace has participated in 12 matches for the West Midlands side this season, netting three goals and providing one assist in all competitions.

The 27-year-old has been a consistent performer at the heart of Villa’s midfield based on his average of 2.5 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 0.7 clearances, 1.7 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game in the English first division. He has even distributed the ball relatively well as he has completed 77.3% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).

Can Aston Villa Boss Steven Gerrard Afford To Lose McGinn?

McGinn is an energetic midfielder who can get stuck in with a few crunching tackles and excels at winning the ball back for his side. He has got the eye to play a decisive pass in the attacking end of the field and can also make some clever runs with the ball towards the opposition penalty box. The 42-time Scotland international doesn’t need an invitation to have a strike on-target and can contribute by scoring a few important goals in the final third.

It is no wonder that a complete midfielder of McGinn’s skill set would be a shrewd acquisition for a top club like Liverpool and a big loss for the Villans. The ex-Hibernian talent remains an irreplaceable member of Steven Gerrard‘s first team. He has formed a solid partnership with Marvelous Nakamba at Villa Park.

Thus, the West Midlands side simply cannot afford to lose McGinn as he is currently one of the most reliable performers of their squad. Gerrard would be better off rejecting any advances from his former club, Liverpool, or any other potential suitors for the player in the future.