Aston Villa are closing in on their fourth signing of the summer, as Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri is on the verge of joining from Atlético Madrid.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday evening that a deal was agreed between the clubs for an initial fee of €25m (£21.3m, $28.8m), plus €1.5m (£1.3m, $1.7m) in potential add-ons. However, other outlets, namely The Athletic have referenced a fee of around €20m (£17m, $23m).
Romano confirmed Ruggeri will fly to England on Wednesday to complete his medical, so barring any unexpected twists, the transfer should be announced shortly. His acquisition is believed to have been driven by manager Unai Emery, rather than Villa’s scouting team.
That has often been the case in Emery’s tenure, as he has accumulated a lot of power within the building, having final say on any potential signing. The additions of João Gomes and Alejandro Garnacho were similarly pushed by Villa’s manager.
In his lone season with Atlético, Ruggeri made 26 appearances in La Liga and 15 in the UEFA Champions League, providing six assists across the two competitions.
The 24-year-old spent the early years of his career in Serie A with Atalanta, before earning a €17m move to Madrid last summer.
He will replace Lucas Digne, who recently left to join Villa’s opponents in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup final, PSG.
Ruggeri was ranked as the 5th best left-back in La Liga last season by WhoScored, with an average match rating of 6.89.
For context, the highest-rated left-back was Álvaro Carreras with a 7.12 rating. Ian Maatsen received an average score of 6.74 in the Premier League in 2025/26, with Digne at 6.70.
His arrival will spark a competition for playing time with Ian Maatsen, and it is likely that Emery will alternate between the two based on a given opponent and his desired tactical set up for specific games.
At 6’2”, Ruggeri is unusually tall for a full-back and should offer a more physical presence than the diminutive Maatsen.
A difference in Villa’s style was evident based on whether Digne or Maatsen were in the lineup, and it will likely be similar this season. Expect Maatsen to focus on aggressive forward runs, with Ruggeri instead taking up deeper positions and looking to cross, as Digne did.
He is also likely to have a bigger role in buildup. Ruggeri averaged eight progressive passes per 90 minutes last season, compared to 5.5 for Maatsen. That is the difference between ranking in the 80th percentile and the 32nd percentile at full-back.
With not much time until the Premier League season begins, Ruggeri will need to adapt quickly if he is to usurp Maatsen in the starting lineup.
Working under two respected and successful coaches in Diego Simeone and Gian Piero Gasperini should stand him in good stead.
Gasperini predominantly used variations of a 3-4-3 system at Atalanta, so Ruggeri’s one season in Madrid was his first extensive experience in a traditional back four. Time will tell if he can adapt to Emery’s approach and make an impact in the upcoming season.
Elsewhere on the transfer front, Villa confirmed that Evann Guessand has re-joined Crystal Palace on an initial loan with a conditional obligation to buy.
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