Aston Villa have completed the signing of left-back Matteo Ruggeri from Atlético Madrid, in a deal worth around £17m. He arrives to replace Lucas Digne, who left for Paris Saint-Germain on 9 August after four seasons in the same position for the club.
Ruggeri, 24, joined Atlético from Atalanta last summer on a five-year deal, and made 26 appearances in La Liga and 15 in the Champions League last season, in which Atlético reached the semi-final before losing to Arsenal. He won the Europa League with Atalanta in 2024, making over 100 appearances for the Serie A side before that move. He has been called into Italy's senior squad but is yet to win a cap.
Villa also completed the signing of the goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma. The move comes despite Emiliano Martínez's proposed switch to Juventus collapsing over the weekend, leaving his future at the club uncertain. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Digne have all left Villa Park this summer, and the club currently has the lowest net spend in the Premier League, at around £110m once sales are accounted for.
Ruggeri becomes the latest arrival under Unai Emery, following Johan Manzambi, João Gomes and the Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho, who joined on loan with an obligation to buy, as Villa prepare for a Champions League campaign after finishing fourth and winning the Europa League last season. Ruggeri and Suzuki could both make their Premier League debuts in Sunday's season opener at Brighton.