Matteo Ruggeri is closing in on an Aston Villa move after a €26.5million agreement with Atlético Madrid, with a medical now among the final steps before the transfer can be completed.
Villa have reached a verbal agreement worth €25m up front plus a further €1.5m in potential add-ons for the Italy international.
Ruggeri has also given the green light to the move, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the defender was due to fly to England for his Aston Villa medical.
Matteo Ruggeri Aston Villa transfer reaches final stage
The latest development moves Villa significantly closer to completing another major piece of Unai Emery’s summer rebuild.
ReadAstonVilla reported earlier this week that Ruggeri’s Aston Villa transfer was edging closer as Atlético lined up a replacement.
At that stage, the player’s decision remained one of the important hurdles.
Ruggeri has since agreed terms, while Villa and Atlético have settled on the structure of the transfer.
The 24-year-old would arrive to strengthen a position that has undergone significant change this summer following Lucas Digne’s move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Ian Maatsen started Wednesday night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG, but Ruggeri would provide Emery with another specialist option on the left side of defence.
Villa’s recruitment is beginning to accelerate again.
João Palhinha has already agreed personal terms and informed Bayern Munich that he wants to move to Villa Park, while further defensive additions remain under consideration.
For Ruggeri, however, the finish line now appears particularly close.
Providing there are no problems during the medical and final paperwork, Villa could soon be in position to officially confirm the Italian as their latest summer signing.
