Having confirmed the arrival of Ian Maatsen, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will be relishing working with the Dutchman in the coming years.
The club confirmed the signing of the 22-year-old this week in a deal believed to be worth around £37.5m, and so it’s a significant investment and a huge show of faith in a player who is still developing into a consistent and top performer.
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Nevertheless, despite his relatively young age, Maatsen has ultimately benefited from a number of loan spells since joining Chelsea, with stints at Burnley, Coventry City and most notably, and recently, at Borussia Dortmund, where he showcased his ability on the big stage.
Having contributed three goals and two assists in 23 appearances to go with his defensive duties, the Dutch defender proved his ability to make an important impact at the top level, as he was named in the Champions League team of the season.
That form earned him a spot in the Netherlands squad for EURO 2024, eventually, having been called up as an injury replacement, but it shows the direction in which he is moving at this early stage of his career.
Villa and Unai Emery have evidently seen something they like in him that makes him a great fit for our system, style of play and structure, thus justifying the huge outlay to land his signature, and that’s despite already having Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno available to play in that role.
The expectation is that one of that duo will depart this summer as although we will need depth and competition next season, having three players for one position, and given the options available to play in the more advanced left-sided midfielder role too, it doesn’t make sense to have them all on the wage bill.
As for Maatsen though, his speed, athleticism, technical ability, creativity and eye for goal all make him stand out as an excellent addition, as he’ll bring impetus, energy and freshness to our left side to perhaps build on what we saw from Moreno prior to his injury-plagued season last year.
We’ve seen how important that dynamic can be for us if we carry a threat down each flank and that creates a crucial balance to the side, and with Maatsen ready to take that next step and cement his place at a Premier League club pushing for success, he could be a vital addition to Emery’s Villa XI.
All those attributes and strengths are displayed in the video below. Whether it’s his defensive qualities, ability to press and apply pressure higher up the pitch or offer an attacking threat with his movement off the ball or his ability in possession.
It’s an exciting signing for Villa as we look to sustain our progress from last year and build on it, and while it remains to be seen what happens with Moreno and Digne, Maatsen is a long-term solution for a key position as we look to build a young squad capable of creating a successful cycle under Emery’s stewardship.
