Aston Villa suffered a potentially season-defining 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.
It was an afternoon to forget for all involved, but a moment of frustration from John McGinn really did put the game to bed.
Even Unai Emery’s most influential players struggled, with Ollie Watkins hardly getting a kick all game, and it seemed as though the side uncharacteristically gave up towards the latter stages of the game.
The Spaniard’s substitutions also failed to have a huge impact on the tie, with one of them particularly struggling yet again, despite costing the club a lot of money.
What Aston Villa paid for Zaniolo and his wage
Just over a year ago today, Nicolo Zaniolo swapped Roma for Galatasaray in an attempt to revive his career with a new adventure.
The Italian scored five goals in just ten matches and two starts in the Turkish Super Lig, and in the summer, the midfielder moved to Villa on a season-long loan.
According to the BBC, the Villans paid a £4.25m loan fee for the temporary signature of the “fantastic” Zaniolo, as per scout Jacek Kulig, but it could become a permanent deal worth £19.2m if a particular criteria is met.
For the season, the 24-year-old’s wage costs NSWE £60k-per-week, which equates to £3.1m per season. However, Zaniolo has already earned just under £800k in estimated bonuses, as per Capology.
Aston Villa must let go of a player who's earning more than Morgan Rogers
Unai Emery could be set to have a clear-out of his squad this summer