Aston Villa are reportedly on the verge of completing the signing of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea with all terms of the deal agreed and a medical completed.
The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Borussia Dortmund in the second half of last season to build on his ongoing development into a top left-back, as he made 23 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.
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In addition to his defensive duties, Maatsen contributed three goals and two assists to showcase his offensive qualities too, and unsurprisingly, his excellent form attracted plenty of attention.
However, as per Fabrizio Romano, Villa have now agreed a deal to sign the Dutchman for £37.5m from Chelsea, and he will put pen to paper on a six-year deal to keep him with us until June 2030.
He adds that he has also now passed his medical, and so the expectation is that an announcement could be imminent to confirm that he has arrived as one of our marquee signings this summer. That said, given he is currently on international duty with the Netherlands at EURO 2024, time will tell when he’s able to be unveiled by Villa.
With Alex Moreno and Lucas Digne both already in the Villa squad, Maatsen’s arrival will raise doubts over their respective futures now as ultimately Unai Emery has drafted in his preferred long-term option for big money, and so the expectation is that one of them will move in the coming weeks.
It will be a key decision though to ensure that we have the necessary depth and competition to be able to compete across multiple fronts next season, and so although Moreno suffered with injuries last season, it remains to be seen if he is still Emery’s preference given his fit in the side, over Digne, or if the Frenchman will get the nod instead.
Maatsen though will be a pivotal figure for us once his transfer is confirmed, as with his defensive qualities, speed, technical ability and impact in the final third with his attacking threat, he’ll be a key presence in the Villa XI in terms of our style, structure and by adding a new dynamic to our attacking play on a consistent basis.
