Aston Villa have invested heavily in plenty of new talent in recent years, with both Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard having accumulated a net spend of nearly £260m.
Both were tasked with taking the Midlands club to the next level, and with the latter currently struggling for results, it seems like it is a task easier said than done.
Plenty of the new faces have succeeded, however, it is a more familiar face that continues to impress at Villa Park.
Signed for just £2m, John McGinn joined from Hibernian back in 2019.
He quickly established himself as a fan favourite and was recently appointed captain of the club following the removal of Tyrone Mings from the position.
The Scotland international has since seen his value rise astronomically, with CIES Football Observatory rating him at €35m (£30m). This marks a remarkable 1400% increase, with the 27-year-old viewed as invaluable by the Villains.
McGinn has earned his plaudits for his typically busy performances in the engine room, willing to get through the dirty work but pop up with a goal.
Journalist Mat Kendrick actually labelled him a “relentless creature”, lauding his ability to feed off the crowd to summon “even more energy in his leg."
This season for Villa he is averaging 1.1 interceptions and 2.4 tackles per game, whilst during his career he has scored a respectable 16 goals across his 155 appearances.
He blends his goal-scoring and defensive know-how with a keen ability to drive with the ball at his feet, as he ranks in the top 18% for dribbles completed across Europe's top five leagues.
Having worked his way to complete seniority over his teammates, it is clear that the 27-year-old possesses all the mental attributes to match his technical ability.
It is this which has led to his incredibly solid performances over his career in England, contributing to this exceptional increase in value.
It has become something of a dream deal, as he continues to improve at every opportunity. This season, holding the captaincy will surely only serve to continue this development.