Romano: PL club reach £37.5m agreement with Chelsea to sign highly impressive 22-year-old defender

Aston Villa reach agreement with Chelsea to sign Ian Maatsen

According to Evening Standard, Aston Villa have agreed to pay £37.5 million to sign Ian Maatsen, reaching an agreement with Chelsea to sign the left-back. Now Villa only has to reach a personal agreement to finalise the left-back move to Villa Park.

Maatsen, who was loaned to Borussia Dortmund in January, was expected to join the German club on a permanent move, but Dortmund have failed to reach the asking price, which saw Aston Villa pouncing on the chance to sign him.

Once Unai Emery’s side reaches a personal agreement with the player, Chelsea will generate their first profit of the season as they continue to offload a few academy players. Maatsen, meanwhile, is representing the Netherlands at Euro 2024 after replacing Frenkie de Jong.

Maatsen’s stint at Chelsea didn’t go as envisioned; the 22-year-old was finally sent out on loan for his development because then-manager Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t backing him sufficiently. The youthful player contributed significantly to Dortmund’s team and got them to the Champions League final.

Maatsen’s performance convinced Dortmund to sign the fullback on a long-term deal, but due to their financial issues, the German club couldn’t get it over the line. Chelsea will be content to make their first profit of the transfer window and hope that Maatsen accepts Villa’s proposal to complete the deal.

This will allow the left-back to thrive in the Premier League and showcase his talent, as he did at Dortmund. Maatsen is just 22, and his loan at Dortmund was enough to underline how excellent he could be if given the trust. He will also play in the Champions League after Villa finished fourth in the group stage last season.

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Meanwhile, the Blues will receive reasonable revenue. It was expected that Maatsen would attract more clubs because his talent is undeniable but the Blues are getting a decent fee from his sale. We wish Maatsen the very best at his new club, provided the move goes through. Let’s wait and see how his career pans out.