Aston Villa signing Ian Maatsen could be terrible news for one former Arsenal whizkid who joined the club in February.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are closing in on the signing of Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen with HITC reporting that the Dutch left-back grew tired of waiting for Borussia Dortmund’s proposal.
HITC had previously reported that Villa and Manchester City were waiting in the wings if a deal between Dortmund and Chelsea could not be agreed and it appears the Midlands side have swooped in to agree a deal with the Blues.
Emery’s Villa are preparing for their first run in the UEFA Champions League since the formation of the Premier League in 1992.
Villa’s Maatsen deal terrible for one youngster
A new left-back signing does seem like a strange decision with the Midlands club already having Alex Moreno and Lucas Digne on their books.
However, there is another player that Villa have and that is former Arsenal youngster Lino Sousa, who only moved to the Midlands back in February.
Sousa moved to the Arsenal academy in 2022 from West Brom, signing a professional contract with the Gunners in the process.
The left-back impressed during his spell in the academy for the Gunners and earned himself a place on the bench for Arsenal’s 3-0 Premier League win away against Brentford back in September 2022.
However, the English defender moved to Villa but spent last season on loan and his chances in the first team next season look set to be hampered further.
Sousa’s loan move to Plymouth
Following his deadline day arrival at Villa, the defender moved to Plymouth Argyle to play under manager Ian Foster and the Englishman, who was eventually dismissed from the job in April, was a big fan of the signing.
“Lino is somebody that I’ve known for a while,” Foster told the club’s website. “I’ve always been excited by his performances at Arsenal and with the England development teams.
“He’s a really exciting player with huge potential and I think you can see why the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa have taken him.
“He’ll come in, in competition on the left-hand side of the pitch. He’s got a lovely left foot; he’s athletic; he can handle the ball in tight areas; he can defend in 1v1 situations and he’s good in the final phase as well.”
Sousa only made eight appearances during his spell in the Championship but another loan move looks likely for the 19-year-old.
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