Zion Suzuki has made an encouraging start to life at Aston Villa, quickly showing why the club were so keen to bring him to the Premier League.
After arriving in August from Parma for a reported £30 million, the 24-year-old has been in great form in goal at Villa, providing Unai Emery with plenty of positives to take from the Japanese.
Suzuki has made 25 saves across his 7 Premier League appearances, most notably 6 in Villa’s impressive 2-1 victory against Manchester City. But he has done more than just keep shots out of the net.
Suzuki gives Emery more options in possession
Suzuki is a strong asset in the final third due to his ability to play under pressure and deliver precise short passes to team-mates.
This allows Villa to have more options when they are trying to create attacking opportunities and makes them harder to press high up the park.
Suzuki has been likened to Manchester City’s former goalkeeper Ederson due to his ability to quickly transition the ball from defence to midfield.
It is an important quality in Emery’s system, where the goalkeeper plays an active role in possession. Suzuki’s passing range gives Villa more options when building from the back and can help them find space against teams that press aggressively.
His performances have also arrived at an important time for the club. Villa made 10 signings during the summer, and Suzuki is already showing signs that he could become one of their most influential additions.
Aston Villa beat strong competition to sign Suzuki
Villa had to compete with several clubs to secure Suzuki’s signature.
Parma sporting director Alessandro Pettina revealed that six clubs made offers for the goalkeeper. Some of those interested teams had Champions League ambitions, with Paris Saint-Germain among the clubs reportedly keen to sign him.
However, Suzuki had already made up his mind about his next move. Villa offered him the opportunity to become their first-choice goalkeeper, regardless of what happened with Emiliano Martínez.
That promise appears to have played an important part in his decision.
Having rejected a move to Manchester United back in 2023, Suzuki joined Sint-Truiden in Belgium on-loan. However, a move to Parma was crucial in his development and gained interest from clubs across Europe.
While in Italy Suzuki showed his determination by overcoming a serious injury to his hand and wrist that kept him out of action for several months. He continued to build his reputation upon his return.
Suzuki’s character could be just as important
Suzuki has done more than just perform well between the posts.
The staff at Villa have been impressed with his positive attitude and his ability to fit in to the dressing room. This can be an important factor when a new signing comes into a different league and needs to quickly adapt.
Suzuki also brings a wealth of international experience, having played for Japan in major tournaments. He also made history by becoming the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Champions League in September when Villa played Club Brugge.
Despite much to learn in the English game, Villa have brought in a goalkeeper with real potential.
Suzuki could miss up to seven games around the turn of the year if he goes to Japan for Asian Cup duty, leaving Emery to make a decision on his options.
For now, though, Villa can be pleased with how their new goalkeeper has started. Suzuki has already demonstrated his shot-stopping ability and his value in possession. If he continues to develop, the £30m investment could prove a very smart piece of business.
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