Aston Villa have officially announced the signings of defender Matteo Ruggeri and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki in a double swoop worth over €50m.
It’s been a busy summer for Villa already with a number of outgoings and the arrivals of Joao Gomes, Johan Manzambi and Alejandro Garnacho, and while further exits are expected before the transfer deadline, we’ve now added fresh reinforcements to strengthen the squad.
Given speculation over this duo has been rife for a while, it’s a huge boost to finally see them unveiled as Villa players, and they will now undoubtedly work hard in training this week to try and put themselves in contention to face Brighton in our Premier League season opener this weekend.
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Villa have now confirmed that both Ruggeri and Suzuki have signed from Atletico Madrid and Parma respectively, while The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell reports that the former has arrived in a deal worth around €20m, while Villa have paid an initial €30m for Suzuki, with €5m in add-ons possible too, with the pair both training with their new teammates on Tuesday ahead of being unveiled.
Following the departure of Lucas Digne earlier this month, adding a new left-back to the squad was going to be crucial, and so Emery will be delighted to see Ruggeri arrive as he’ll now provide depth and competition for Ian Maatsen, pushing him for that starting berth.
As for Suzuki, with speculation continuing to link Emiliano Martinez with an exit this summer after much talk over his future this time last year, Villa have seemingly decided that now is the right time to replace him and find a long-term successor.
Evidently, Suzuki was the priority target as we’ve long been paired with an interest, and although the 23-year-old has big boots to fill given how influential and important Martinez has been for us over the past six years, the Villa recruitment have undoubtedly done their due diligence and fully believe that the Japanese international is the right man for the job.
It’s an exciting development as we continue to rebuild the squad and strengthen Emery’s options, and judging by the rumours, we are far from done in this summer transfer window too.
