Aston Villa Reach Agreement for 22-Year-Old Champions League Finalist

Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign left-back Ian Maatsen from Chelsea after the Dutch player’s impressive loan spell at Borussia Dortmund which culminated in a Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid at Wembley. 

Maatsen is in Germany with the Netherlands as part of the Euro 2024 squad after getting called up due to an injury to Frenkie De Jong after not being included on the original squad list.

Chelsea Defender Maatsen Becomes a Star in Germany

The former PSV Eindhoven youth player joined the Blues in 2018 and has had loan spells at Charlton, Coventry and Burnley. He gained experience in League One and excelled at Championship level, being a key player as Burnley clocked up 101 points in 2022/23 to win the Championship title.

Maatsen was used sparingly at Chelsea in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign making 12 league appearances but averaging just over 15 minutes per game.

A deal was completed for the player to join Borussia Dortmund after he rejected a deadline day deal to re-join Burnley on loan with an obligation of a permanent deal in the summer.

The 22-year-old played 90 minutes in each of the knockout fixtures as Dortmund reached the Champions League final, scoring in the quarter-final win over Atletico Madrid. He made 16 Bundesliga appearances, scoring twice and assisting another two.

Despite die Schwarzgelben’s patchy league form, Maatsen’s performance levels remained high and he has elevated his game from his impressive spell at Burnley in England’s second tier.

Big Money Deal and a Six-Year Contract

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Aston Villa have agreed on a fee above £35 million for the left-back and have offered a six-year deal to the player.

This is a significant upgrade on the current options at left-back with both Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno struggling for form as Villa secured qualification for the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Aston Villa reach agreement with Chelsea to sign left-back Ian Maatsen. Fee for 22yo Dutch youth int’l just north of now-expired Borussia Dortmund-specific £35m release clause. Personal terms in place on 6yr contract @TheAthleticFC #AVFC #CFC https://t.co/njmDQHF3ZB

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 19, 2024

Maatsen is a threat in forward areas and has all the attributes required of a modern full-back. He is excellent on the ball and can be seen marauding down the left wing.

He ranked second of all left-backs in the Bundesliga with more than ten appearances for accurate long balls and third in the same category for accurate short passes.

His game has developed impressively over the last three seasons and if the deal with Villa goes through, it appears to be another sign of his progression as the Villians are in a good place under the current regime and their attacking football will suit the Dutch player’s game.

It may also enable him to become a regular for the national side, with Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake preferred in the left-back role at present.

After an impressive campaign, Unai Emery has identified one of the problem areas in the current squad and has added a quality player to address this as the club looks to maintain their first top-four finish since 1995/96.

Villa ended the season with four defeats and two draws from their last six fixtures in all competitions. They will need to bolster the squad if they want to compete in Europe’s top tier and will need to replace Douglas Luiz, should the reported swap deal with Juventus go through.