Aston Villa captain John McGinn has revealed he never considered leaving the club during the turbulent summer transfer window, despite concrete interest from Everton and the opportunity to reunite with former teammate Jack Grealish.
Villa's Firm Stance on Captaincy
The Scottish international, who recently made his 300th appearance for Villa, confirmed that club owners NSWE and manager Unai Emery made it immediately clear they considered him unsellable. Everton had submitted a formal bid for the midfielder as David Moyes looked to bring him to Goodison Park, but Villa's hierarchy intervened decisively.
"When my situation arose, the club made it clear from the first minute that I wasn't for sale and I was important here," McGinn explained. "I'm the captain, and I was valued still so highly. They made that clear. There was no sort of grey area."
Financial Pressures and Summer Wake-up Call
The summer window proved challenging for Villa, who were forced to sell academy graduate Jacob Ramsey for £39 million plus add-ons to comply with financial regulations. Despite this significant sale, the club could only secure loan deals for Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho, alongside free transfers for Victor Lindelof and others.
McGinn described the period as a "big wake-up call to everyone about how important these rules are." He acknowledged the disappointment of missing out on Champions League qualification in "strange circumstances" and admitted the financial implications affected the squad.
Recovery After Slow Start
The Villa captain revealed the uncertainty "certainly did affect us" during the early season, where Villa failed to win in their first five matches. However, he emphasised his role in keeping players focused and believes the team has now "recovered after a slow start to the season."
McGinn's commitment was ultimately rewarded with a new contract, cementing his status as a key figure at the club he joined from Hibernian in 2018. The midfielder expressed gratitude that the owners "stuck to their word" despite the financial pressures facing the club.
