Journalist Dean Jones has provided his thoughts on the future of Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn after the Scotland international was recently named captain of the club.

What's the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider suggested that the 27-year-old taking on the armband should ward off any potential interest in the player, having previously been the subject of interest from a host of other Premier League clubs.

Jones stated: “I think it’s the right decision for Villa. John McGinn will be a good captain for that team. They want to be in those top positions in the league next season, the best of the rest, so let’s see if they can actually do it. Let’s face it by giving McGinn the armband, you’re also sending out a message that he is absolutely not on the transfer market in any shape or form.”

The former Hibernian man - who signed for Villa on a £3m deal four years ago - has been handed the captaincy in place of team-mate Tyrone Mings, who held the responsibility last term, albeit with seemingly no ill will from the latter towards manager Steven Gerrard for that decision.

Supporters will love it

Although Villa supporters will be wary of counting their chickens just yet - with the previous case of Fabian Delph still firmly in the memory - it would appear that McGinn is going nowhere this summer, with that fact set to be a huge boost as the 2022/23 season gets underway.

There had been some outlandish claims earlier in the transfer window that the 48-cap gem could be offloaded by Gerrard amid potential problems behind-the-scenes, although those doubts have now been quashed emphatically by the 27-year-old's fresh appointment as club captain.

The £28.8m-rated man has proven himself a hugely valuable asset to the Midlands club in recent years, with his relentless, energetic midfield displays making him something of a rare commodity in the modern game, such is the shortage of genuine box-to-box midfielders.

Last season saw the £70k-per-week menace chip in with three goals and four assists from his 35 Premier League outings - all of which came from the start - notably creating seven big chances and averaging an impressive 1.5 key passes per game.

Not just a threat in the final third, the Glaswegian playmaker also provides real quality in a defensive sense, having also averaged a remarkable three tackles per game in the league last season, notably ranking in the top 15% among players in his position across Europe's top five leagues in the same metric.

The aggressive, all-action star is the real heartbeat of the current Villa side, with it seemingly a welcome boost for supporters to hear that he is likely set to be in it for the long haul at Villa Park.

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