Ian Maatsen has been told he must be patient if he wants to replace Lucas Digne at Aston Villa.
Villa signed Maatsen from Chelsea in 2024 for big money, but the left-back has struggled to make his mark at Villa Park under Unai Emery.
The Netherlands international failed to appear in Villa’s recent 1-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
And with Digne in strong form, his chances could be few and far between.
Bryan King: Ian Maatsen must be ready to take over from Lucas Digne
Maatsen’s only start in the Premier League came during Villa’s 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Other than that, the France international has been Emery’s first-choice option, with Maatsen frequently used in the Europa League instead.
- Maatsen has made eight appearances in the Premier League
- He has played 215 minutes in the league
- Digne has started 12 out of 13 Premier League games this season
It is undeniable that the 32-year-old is a crucial player for Emery, and given Digne’s red-hot form for Villa this season, it is easy to understand why.
But with Digne in the latter stages of his career, speaking exclusively to Villa News, former Aston Villa scout Bryan King believes Maatsen will have several opportunities to climb through the ranks.
“Digne is not young; there’s always that chance that he’s going to pick up an injury, and if he does, then Maatsen has to be ready to step in,” King said.
“The only way that he can do that is by training hard and showing what he can do when he does get his opportunities. The boy who he thought he was going to replace has been putting in some decent performances.
“At the moment, Digne is doing well, and Maatsen has to be ready to step in if needed. Everybody is seen as a squad player now, apart from one or two star players as such.”
Lucas Digne bests Ian Maatsen in one crucial metric
Simply put, Digne is by far the superior defensive player.
The France international was in the 76.1 per cent percentile for defensive duels last season, while Maatsen was miles behind in the 9.8 per cent percentile.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands international is the better ball carrier and crosser.
But in a league as physical as the Premier League, it is not difficult to understand why Emery prefers Digne’s skillset.
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