Aston Villa have confirmed the signings of goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and left-back Matteo Ruggeri, bolstering their squad ahead of the new season.
Japan international Suzuki arrives at Villa Park from Italian side Parma for a fee in the region of £30m, ending his two-year spell in Serie A where he made 59 appearances and helped Parma secure a 13th-place finish last season.
Italian full-back Ruggeri joins Villa in a deal worth £17m from La Liga side Atletico Madrid, having previously made over 100 appearances for Atalanta before his move to Spain last summer.
Suzuki, 23, moves to Villa despite Emi Martinez’s proposed transfer to Juventus falling through over the weekend due to an undisputed fee agreement between the clubs.
Martinez, who played a pivotal role in Villa’s Europa League triumph in May and won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, now faces an uncertain future following the collapsed move to Juventus.
Villa regard 23-year-old Suzuki as their long-term goalkeeper, viewing him as a potential fixture between the posts for the next decade.
Ruggeri, 24, who has yet to receive a senior cap for Italy, steps in to fill the void left by Lucas Digne’s departure to Paris St-Germain on 9 August.
A Europa League winner with Atalanta in 2024, Ruggeri brings significant experience from his time in Serie A to his new role at Villa.
Both signings could make their debuts in Sunday’s Premier League opening fixture against Brighton.
