Ian Maatsen to undergo Aston Villa medical in Germany after Chelsea decision – Fabrizio Romano
Aston Villa are on the verge of agreeing a deal to sign Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Writing via his personal X account on Saturday (22 June), Romano reported that Maatsen, 22, has been granted permission to undergo a medical with the Villans at the Netherlands’ Euro 2024 training camp in Germany.
It is understood that Villa have “almost agreed” a £37.5million fee with Chelsea with personal terms also close to being completed.
Romano signed off his tweet by saying: “Here we go, soon.”
Will Aston Villa now sell Lucas Digne?
The fact that Aston Villa are reportedly close to finalising a £37.5million deal with Chelsea for Maatsen could spell the end of Lucas Digne’s tenure at Villa Park as the transaction could trigger the sale of the French left-back.
Maatsen is only 22 years old and is considered one of the most exciting young players. He could quickly become very fundamental in the squad for Unai Emery, whereby dynamic features and versatility are needed.
Digne, for all his experience and class, has had an indifferent spell at Villa Park. The possibility of offloading him opens the chance for Villa to use the money in other areas of the team.
Also, the signing of Maatsen could mean less game time for Digne, with the thought bound to make the seasoned Frenchman discontent.
There are, however, some risks associated with the sale of Digne. In fact, to the teams looking to compete in European competitions, depth in defence goes a long way.
What Villa will need to do is estimate how much good the potential transfer fee would do against the strategic advantage of having a tried and tested Premier League left-back at its disposal alongside Maatsen. It would all come down to Villa balancing the squad depth with financial prudence.
In other Aston Villa news, the Villans are in advanced talks to complete “Morgan Rogers-style” signing.
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