Don Goodman blown away by Aston Villa transfer news after new signing announced
Don Goodman has backed the decision taken by Aston Villa to splash out £37.5million to sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea.
The Villans signed the Dutchman, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Borussia Dortmund, on a six-year deal on 28 June.
Some questioned the fee paid for the transfer, but Goodman – who has seen Maatsen up close countless times – is a big fan of the full-back.
“I think the price tag is probably in the right ballpark given what he did at Borussia Dortmund,” Goodman told Villa News.
“He did really well at Burnley, albeit it was in the Championship so we had to wait and see if he could do it at the next level, which he did in Dortmund’s Champions League run.
“He’s got all the attributes that you need to be a top full-back. What separates him from the full-backs currently have at their disposal is his searing pace – he is absolutely rapid, so he can improve the team.
“When you play a high line like Villa do, having as much pace in those areas as possible is a massive benefit.”
Ian Maatsen will have major impact at Aston Villa
Paying close to £40m for a full-back with, let’s face it, relatively little top-level experience will of course raise eyebrows.
However, Maatsen was one of the standout players in the Championship two years ago as Burnley cruised to automatic promotion.
The 22-year-old then played an important part in Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final in the second half of last season.
Dortmund were interested in signing Maatsen permanently, but they were unable to match Chelsea’s valuation, allowing Villa to pounce.
Maatsen will slot in nicely at the back and is set to be a regular under Unai Emery as the Villans battle on multiple fronts.
While he may not be a 20-plus goal attacker than fans crave in the summer transfer market, this is still an astute piece of business.
In other Aston Villa news, Dan Bardell has mooted a possible deal to sign an “interesting” Serie A player.
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