By all accounts, Aston Villa will need to tread carefully when attempting to upgrade the options available to Unai Emery this summer.
Aston Villa need to reduce their wage bill in order to comply with UEFA’s financial limits, a figure which is too big in comparison to the club’s revenue.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if Villa started next season without too many big name additions — Emery might have to make the best of what he already has.
And to some degree, that might mean calling on the likes of Ian Maatsen more often, who was enjoying increased game time at the expense of Lucas Digne as the season went on.
But even if Maatsen’s role has begun to improve with Villa, he hasn’t quite shown that form for the Netherlands U21s so far this summer.
Ian Maatsen criticised for ‘hard to believe’ display for Netherlands U21s
Maatsen is currently away with Netherlands U21s at the European Championships being held in Slovakia.
And after playing 90 minutes in a defensive midfield role in the Netherlands’ opening 2-2 draw with Finland, Maatsen was then switched to left back in a 2-1 defeat to Denmark.
Ian Maatsen for Netherlands U21s at the Euros.
Photo by Boris Streubel – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
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23-year-old Maatsen, one of the older players at the tournament, played 81 minutes before being replaced, a performance which was labelled as ‘hard to believe’.
That’s according to Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur who were less than impressed by Maatsen’s efforts on the left, perhaps because he is one of the more senior options present.
Scoring Maatsen a 6/10, which admittedly wasn’t as bad as some of those rated around him, VP still wrote: “Anyone who saw Maatsen in action for the ‘big’ Oranje against Spain in March will find it hard to believe that this was the same player,” referring to the senior side.
“The Aston Villa wingback made childish mistakes in the back. He also failed to make his mark offensively. The left-back position therefore remains a headache for [Michael] Reiziger.”
Unai Emery might not be too disappointed if Ian Maatsen comes home early
Of course, Maatsen does already have a cap for the senior side, and perhaps a small part of the Villa defender is somewhat regretting his decision to drop down to the U21s for the tournament.
Although, all hope is not lost for Maatsen’s side just yet, they will still face Ukraine U21s on Wednesday, a game which is now a must-win.
And in terms of Maatsen’s own contributions, he’s definitely a player who can help win games at the tournament — he should be one of the most accomplished performers there.
Villa fans were wowed by Maatsen in the Champions League last season, a player they’ll be hoping to see a lot more of next term.
And in truth, Emery might not be too displeased were Maatsen’s side to be eliminated early at the Euros, meaning he can get more rest this summer ahead of the new season.