Aston Villa sign Japan keeper Zion Suzuki and Italy left-back Matteo Ruggeri
Aston Villa confirmed on 19 August 2026 that they have signed Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma and Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid, with both players expected to join the squad at Villa Park ahead of the new season.
Suzuki, 23, arrives from Parma for a fee reported to be in the region of £30m and has 28 caps for Japan; Ruggeri, 24, signed from Atletico Madrid for £17m and has represented Italy at every level except the senior side. Villa view Suzuki as their long-term number one, potentially for the next decade, and completed the Ruggeri deal as a replacement for Lucas Digne, who signed for Paris St-Germain on 9 August. Suzuki spent two years at Parma, making 59 appearances and helping them finish 13th last season, while Ruggeri was a Europa League winner with Atalanta in 2024 and made over 100 appearances for the Serie A club before moving to Atletico last summer.
Suzuki’s former Sint-Truiden coach Dennis Rudel, who worked with him during a 2023-24 loan spell, recounted an incident after a match in Anderlecht to BBC Sport: "We played in Anderlecht and after the game we went out to the bus and there was a fight with hooligans," he said. "The head coach called for Zion: 'Come here, get out of the bus and clear the situation.' "It was a joke but you have a picture of Asterix and Obelix and everything is flying away. You have never seen a goalkeeper or a player like that."
Rudel offered a detailed appraisal of Suzuki’s physical attributes and presence: "I saw his power immediately. To show your strength in the game you have to let the tiger out on the pitch, let the beast out. He is so powerful, I have never seen a goalkeeper like it." He also singled out Suzuki’s hands and shot-stopping: "He has such big hands and is powerful - when he can reach the ball it will be 90-95% a save, maybe other keepers touch the ball but it goes in. With him it is something really special."
On Suzuki’s preparation and mentality Rudel added: "After the first two weeks of working with him I said to him you don't need your apartment, you live in the gym." He went on to outline Suzuki’s distribution and potential: "It's possible because if he stays healthy and with his physical strength there is no one better in the world, in terms of dynamic, jumping power, throws, kicking the ball." Rudel also said: "When I watched him at the World Cup, his biggest strength is he is mentally clear - the focus on the game or the training sessions is so good. He is always prepared, really disciplined."
Rudel described his role in bringing Suzuki to Europe, saying he travelled to Japan in 2020 for coaching clinics, met Suzuki's coach at Urawa Red Diamonds and helped flag the goalkeeper to Sint-Truiden. He recalled the club's decision to sign Suzuki: "[In 2023] we were looking for a new goalkeeper and had a couple of on the list but all of a sudden the club said we had an option to get Zion. I said to the sporting director 'forget the list - if we can get him, get him'," and added, "His level went up really quickly, he is very ambitious, he wanted to learn a lot, he asked a lot. We did a lot of video analysis and I can remember how nice it was to work with him. It was a shame it was only one season." The Belgian side, Sint-Truiden, are owned by Japanese company DMM.com and have been a pathway to Europe for other Japanese players.
Both signings could be available for Villa's Premier League opener: the club said Suzuki and Ruggeri might make their debuts in Sunday's match at Brighton.
