Aston Villa sign Chelsea left-back Maatsen for £35m

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Aston Villa have signed Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen for £35m.

Maatsen, 22, spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, helping the Bundesliga club reach the Champions League final.

The defender is currently with the Netherlands at Euro 2024, preparing for a last-16 match against Romania on Tuesday.

He is Villa’s second signing of the summer, following striker Lewis Dobbin’s arrival from Everton.

Chelsea signed Maatsen in 2019 from PSV Eindhoven. He impressed during loan spells at Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, Burnley, and Dortmund.

Maatsen played a key role in helping Burnley win promotion to the Premier League in 2022-23, scoring four goals in 39 appearances and earning a spot in the Championship Team of the Season.

He started last season at Chelsea but struggled for regular minutes under Mauricio Pochettino, appearing in 15 games across all competitions.

A six-month loan to Dortmund was arranged in January after he signed a one-year contract extension with Chelsea, running until June 2026, which included a release clause likely leading to his summer departure.

During his time in Germany, Maatsen played 23 times and scored three goals as Dortmund finished fifth in the Bundesliga and lost 2-0 to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

He leaves Stamford Bridge after making 16 appearances for Chelsea.

Ziyech joins Galatasaray

Also leaving Chelsea is Morocco winger Hakim Ziyech, who has completed a permanent transfer to Galatasaray.

Ziyech, 31, joined the Blues from Ajax for £33.3m in 2020 and scored 14 goals in 107 appearances, winning the Champions League, Uefa Super Club and Fifa Club World Cup,

He spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, winning the Turkish Super Lig, but has now moved on a free transfer.