Several Borussia Dortmund players stood out as the Black and Yellows made an unexpected run to the 2023/24 Champions League final. Mats Hummels was solid in defence while Jadon Sancho was an attacking difference-maker. Few, however, caught the eye like Ian Maatsen, the Dutch left back on loan from Chelsea.
Maatsen has now completed a permanent transfer to Aston Villa with the 22-year-old putting pen to paper on a six-year contract. Reports claim Chelsea and Villa agreed a package worth less than the £35m release clause in Maatsen’s contract with the Stamford Bridge club, representing genuine value for Unai Emery’s team.
While Aston Villa finished in the Premier League’s top four last season, qualifying for this season’s Champions League, the full backs positions were a relative weakness. On the right side, Matty Cash can be defensively vulnerable and lacks the attacking output of other players in his position with Lucas Digne on the left side not always the most mobile.
Maatsen is a clear upgrade on Digne at left back with the 22-year-old comfortable stepping into the centre of midfield, as he did for Dortmund in the second half of last season. This is something that could help Aston Villa gain more control over games as it prepares to compere at the elite level of European soccer this season.
Digne is a better crosser of the ball than Maatsen, but the latter is bolder in getting forward and crashing the penalty box with direct runs. This was a feature of Borussia Dortmund’s play as it reached the Champions League final and ultimately fell to Real Madrid at Wembley – and it will be a feature of Villa’s play next season.
Villa finds itself at a crossroads in its recent history. The Villa Park outfit has made great progress under Emery and can now count itself among one of the best teams in the Premier League at this moment in time. However, Emery needs greater quality in his squad in order to compete on four fronts next season.
Emery will need more than Maatsen through the door to achieve this goal, but the 22-year-old’s addition is a smart pick-up that should the tone for the rest of the transfer window for Aston Villa. The club must find value where it can and Maatsen is someone who will improve them on the pitch for a respectable outlay.
