Ex-Tottenham star hits out at £38m Aston Villa transfer decision amid 'more money' claim

Former Tottenham Hotspur fan favourite Rafael van der Vaart has slammed ex-Chelsea full-back Ian Maatsen for choosing to join Aston Villa this summer and claims the defender has stunted his development by choosing a team which doesn’t give him the first team football he needs at this stage of his career.

Maatsen, who was reportedly a top target for Spurs in the summer window, joined the Villans for a reported figure of around £37.5m after a successful loan spell at the end of last term which saw him help Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final during his six month stint with the Bundesliga heavyweights. The 23-year-old stood out during his time with Germany for his sharp attacking insticts and his ability to create chances with overlapping runs and pinpoint crossing accuracy.

The Netherlands international, who recently scored on his debut for Ronald Koeman’s side against Spain in the UEFA Nations League, had enjoyed temporary stints at the likes of Burnley, Coventry City and Charlton Athletic, earning himself a reputation as a rising star despite only making 12 Premier League appearances during his time with Chelsea.

Rafael van der Vaart slams Ian Maatsen’s decision to join Aston Villa

Former Tottenham and Netherlands star Rafael van der Vaart, who scored 28 times in 77 appearances during his time at White Hart Lane, believes Ian Maatsen made the wrong decision when joining Aston Villa and has claimed money may have been the deciding factor in the youngster’s decision.

During an interview with voetbalprimeur he explained: “I think he made the wrong choice by choosing Aston Villa. He has to play, play, play,” he said.

“He was really good at Dortmund and then he chooses England, probably more money and they are really building something up. It’s the same with Malen. They got him for €40m, but he’s not playing either. They haven’t even registered him for the Champions League.”

Ian Maatsen’s Aston Villa career so far

Ian Maatsen has made 35 appearances for Aston Villa this season but has been limited to just 11 starts across all competitions, with only four of those coming in the Premier League.

Bringing in Maatsen was a long-term ambition of manager Unai Emery.Stylistically, he was viewed an improvement on Alex Moreno, a previous favourite of Emery due to his acceleration and direct running which, in Villa’s structure, after his loan move to Nottingham Forest - and would replicate the role of a winger in possession. Moreno’s recurring hamstring issues meant an upgrade was needed last summer.

The Netherlands international has often played second fiddle to the more experience Lucas Digne throughout the season but has been able to contribute one goal which came during a 3-0 Champions League round-of-16 victory against Club Brugge as the 23-year-old aims to go a step further then he did last year by becoming a European champion with a team that last reigned supreme on the continent in 1982.

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