Ian Maatsen now lined up for shock Aston Villa exit as sale decision made
Ian Maatsen could already be on his way out of Aston Villa.
Maatsen, 23, joined Villa from Chelsea last summer for a sizable fee and has slowly become a regular feature under Unai Emery in claret and blue.
Despite this, the Netherlands under-21 international remained on the bench for 90 minutes as Villa drew 0-0 with Newcastle United on the opening day of the campaign.
With that in mind, it could prove to be a testing few weeks for Maatsen with a potential departure on the cards before the transfer window comes to a close.
Maatsen could leave Aston Villa already
There is no getting away from the fact that the B6 club have positive options in the left back position, especially after Lucas Digne signed a new contract at Villa Park.
The ability and experience of the Frenchman always look likely to cause problems for the ex-Chelsea man, despite hopes that Maatsen would become the main man for Villa.
As a result, it may prove to be wise, especially with PSR and SCR concerns being what they are, to cash in on the 23-year-old this summer.
Monchi and Co. may have been handed the perfect opportunity to do exactly that with Atalanta showing an interest in his signature, according to the Sunday Mirror (17 August, page 70).
The newspaper reported that the Serie A outfit wants Maatsen despite Villa not currently being active in a mission to sell the defender.
This could see the Italians struggle to make an offer that Emery will find acceptable after already parting ways with Jacob Ramsey in a £40million move to Newcastle.
As a result, it appears to be far more likely that Alex Moreno will move on from Villa Park instead of the Dutchman this summer.
Emery has spoken out on Maatsen
It will certainly be interesting to see if the 2024 Europa League winners can stump up enough cash to tempt the Villans into a sale.
This may prove to be difficult as Emery has previously spoken out about the talents of Maatsen, something which could make a deal difficult for Atalanta.
As quoted by the Express and Star in January, the Spaniard said: “Ian Maatsen, he’s very positive and he’s ready to play.
“He knows the confidence we have with him, his capacity to make us faster in the attacking third.”
| Stat (Premier League 24/25) | Ian Maatsen |
| Starts | 10 |
| Goal involvements | 3 |
| Chances created | 19 |
| Duels won | 61 |
| Tackles won | 17 |
It is clear with this sort of comment that the ex-Borussia Dortmund man has the backing of the Villa boss and just needs to show it on a regular basis.
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