Ruggeri Excited About Aston Villa Move as Emery Strengthens Defense

Aston Villa’s new signing Ruggeri did not bother hiding it. This move matters. A lot.

The 24-year-old Italian has swapped Atletico Madrid for the Premier League and spoke with clear pride after sealing his switch to Villa Park, where Unai Emery has been pushing hard to add depth and quality on the left side of defence.

“I am very happy to be here,” Ruggeri told the club’s media. “It’s very exciting for me to be part of this club; I can’t wait to meet my new teammates and start this adventure. I was really enchanted by the project of the team… looking at recent results, I had no doubts about saying yes and being part of this club.”

From Atalanta’s rise to a Premier League stage

Ruggeri’s route to Birmingham has not been a straight line, but it has been steeply upward.

He burst through at Atalanta, earning a reputation as a modern, aggressive left-back in a side that regularly punched above its weight in Europe. That form earned him a five-year deal at Atletico Madrid last season, where he made 47 appearances in all competitions and laid on seven assists before Villa came calling this summer.

On the continental stage, he already knows the demands at the highest level. Across his spells with Atalanta and Atletico, Ruggeri has featured 23 times in the Champions League, contributing three assists and showing he can cope with elite tempo and pressure.

His versatility will appeal immediately to Emery. Ruggeri can play as a conventional left-back or push higher as a wing-back in a five-man midfield, giving Villa options to tweak shape without changing personnel. For a coach who thrives on tactical detail, that flexibility is gold.

Drawn in by Emery’s intensity

Ruggeri has not arrived blind to what awaits him. He has been studying Villa from afar.

“I’ve definitely watched lots of Aston Villa games,” he said. “I was really impressed by the intensity that the coach wants, the quality of the football he demands, and this is why I had no doubts about coming here to begin defending these club colours.

“Last season was important for me, and I hope to do just as well with Aston Villa, and then win a trophy with this club.”

That last line is telling. Villa’s resurgence under Emery, capped by European success and sustained domestic progress, has shifted the club’s profile. Players of Ruggeri’s pedigree now see Villa as a place to win, not just compete.

Chasing Italy and following Maldini

For all his club achievements, one thing still eludes Ruggeri: a senior cap for Italy.

He has been called up to the Azzurri squad multiple times, yet he is still waiting for that first appearance. His CV already includes a Europa League title with Atalanta in 2023-24 and a run to the Copa del Rey final with Atletico Madrid last season, but the national-team breakthrough remains unfinished business.

The move to England is calculated. A strong campaign in the Premier League, in a side playing European football and challenging at the top end, is designed to push him firmly into the thoughts of Italy’s coaching staff.

Growing up, he looked up to one of the game’s greats.

“As a child I really liked Paolo Maldini as a left-back,” he admitted. “Over the years I didn’t have a specific player to model myself on. He was the one I looked up to when I was a kid.”

Now he steps into a league where every performance will be under the microscope, just as Maldini’s once were in Serie A and Europe.

Brighton, Arsenal… and Villa Park calling

Ruggeri may not have to wait long for his first taste of English football. Villa face Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend, before a heavyweight clash with Arsenal looms on the horizon. Emery has not hidden his desire to rotate smartly across multiple fronts, and a European-hardened defender who can slot straight in is exactly what he has been chasing.

The Italian has already been doing his homework on his new home.

“I saw many videos and photos of the stadium, and I can’t wait to play there, because I saw the fans are incredible. I can’t wait to get to know the atmosphere,” he said.

Villa Park has roared its way back onto the European map. Now, into that noise and expectation, steps Ruggeri — a full-back with trophies behind him, a national-team dream in front of him, and a manager who demands that his players match the club’s growing ambition.