.Unai Emery wants to strengthen his midfield in January.
John McGinn – Aston VillaAston Villa’s 3-2 win over Burnley was unconvincing but moved them into second place in the Premier League with three points.
Unai Emery’s squad is a bit thin due to injuries, meaning the manager will not be able to make any changes over the Christmas period.
Villa are therefore looking to strengthen their squad in January by signing the midfielder, who current manager Brendan Rodgers has described as “a great player”.
Aston Villa can repeat McGinn’s master classAs reported by Sky Sports last month, Aston Villa sent a scout to watch Matt O’Reilly in Champions League action.
Orillia-Celtic-Premiership-Rodgers-Carter-Vickers-Hearts But Emery’s side will have to compete with European giants Inter for his services.
The Dane is under contract with Celtic until 2027 and is rumored to be worth over £25million.
Matt O’Reilly’s style of playAston Villa could deliver a master class by signing young left-sided midfielder John McGinn from the Scottish Premier League in January.
The Villa captain left Hibernian for just £2m in 2018 and the recruitment team will be hoping O’Reilly can follow a similar path to success as the Scotland international, who has become a Villans legend over the years.
John McGinn Aston VillaO’Reilly has proven his quality over the last two seasons, but has been exceptional since August.
In 27 appearances in all competitions this season, the midfielder, who plays on the right flank of a 4-3-3, has scored an impressive nine goals and provided one assist (18 in total).
The 23-year-old has also impressed in Europe this season and the table below shows some stats from his Champions League campaign and how he compares to the competition.
O’Reilly’s UCL Stats 2023/24Statistics (90 people)O’Reillypercentilesuseful0.56top 7%pulling action4.07top 18%access card2.78top 8%Obtaining progressive permissions5.37top 12%the work2.59top 17%It was difficult for the dribblers.1.67top 9%Statistics by FBrefAs you can see, number 33 is the definition of a midfielder, similar to the aforementioned McGinn.
However, he likes to influence play with his left hand in the final third and pass into the box on the right. Crossed Legs are also responsible for the parts they are mounted on.
The Danish international acts as a link between attack and defence. Creativity is perhaps O’Reilly’s greatest strength.
But he is also very strong in possession. This is the type of player Emery prefers in midfield, hard-working but dangerous.
The Hoops ace is a tenacious tackler who works tirelessly to win back possession for his team.
This is important in preventing counter-attacks, which is reflected in his high dribbling ability.Orilei-Celtic-Premier-Shipat-Rogers-Kyogo-furuhashi
Additionally, O’Reilly’s 6-foot-2 body profile will give Villa a boost as they currently lack athletic monsters to cover the floor.
With McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Youri Tielemans all under 6 feet, the Celtics star brings much-needed height and transition-breaking qualities to a team that has lacked a little.
All in all, signings from Scotland have been successful for Villa in the past and it would be difficult not to see O’Reilly in action should he move to the Premier League.
Emery’s approach suits the Dane’s style of play and he is valued at around £25m.
