Yahoo News Aston Villa told what they're getting as they close in on transfer for 'great player'
Aston Villa are closing in on the signing of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea. The defender, who is currently away with the Netherlands at Euro 2024, will join the Lions for north of £35m and with the long-term future in mind. Maatsen, 22, has done his time out on various loan spells but is now close to setting down roots and finding himself a home at Villa where he will be given the platform to thrive.
Of all of Maatsen's various loan spells previously - he's been with the likes of Charlton Athletic, Coventry City and then title-winning Burnley in 2023 - it was in the second half of last season with Borussia Dortmund where he truly announced himself on the European stage. Playing under the since departed Edin Terzic at Signal Iduna Park, the Dutchman played regularly in the run-in as the Black and Yellows reached the Champions League final.
Terzic, who admitted he was very, very surprised that Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman didn't initially call Maatsen up to his international squad for the Euros - Maatsen only joined up with the group after Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong dropped out because of injury - was glowing in his praise of the player and his assessment of his qualities promises much for those of a Villa persuasion ahead of Maatsen's unveiling.
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"This is a game full of mistakes and it’s all about the reaction," Terzic said after the Champions League final at Wembley last month, in which Dortmund lost to Real Madrid. "Ian is a player who always wants to get on the ball, it doesn’t matter how tight the situation is, he wants to get on the ball and he wants to accelerate, he wants to play forward - and if you have this kind of mentality then, of course, sometimes you are going to lose the ball.
"No hard feelings whatsoever about Ian because they did similar situations in the first half but we didn’t show the efficiency to score. I’m quite sure that Ian is going to learn from that night and he’s going to have a bright future. He's showed what he's capable of. He was very technical in tight spaces. He can pick up speed with his first touch. A great player.
"He made a great impression right from the first training sessions. He brings a lot to the table, both technically and athletically: He is extremely fast and yet has a lot of stamina." Having seen that Koeman had omitted Maatsen from the original Netherlands squad and admitting his surprise, Terzic went as far as adding: “He is the best left-back in the Bundesliga.”
