Between Zion Suzuki and Paris Saint-Germain, it’s the story of a missed meeting. However, there were many opportunities to unite. This summer, the capital club identified the Japanese as a suitable reinforcement for the goalkeeper position. It must be said that Luis Enrique fell in love with the game at the feet of the Japanese goalkeeper. The idea was to recruit him before the Spanish technician decided to make him a No. 2 and a serious competitor to Matvey Safonov or to send him on loan for a season. Juventus, who fought for his signature for a long time, ultimately hoped to welcome him on loan. But everything finally fell through when an agreement was reached for the transfer of the player from Parma. Ile-de-France leaders considered the Suzuki clan’s final demands, namely very high commissions for its agents, to be excessive.
In Italy, it was also argued that the 24-year-old wanted to play in a team where he had the assurance of being a starter. What Lucho and Paris did not guarantee him. It is also for this same reason that he failed Manchester United 3 years ago. The Red Devils wanted to make him AndrĂ© Onana’s understudy. Which he had refused. A choice that he absolutely does not regret in hindsight. “My priority was to play, that’s why I made this decision. I played one year in Belgium and two years in Parma. I have progressed. It was very important for me to play two years in Serie A. Now I have confidence in myself and I believe in my abilities. Qualities that he puts at the service of Aston Villa, which he joined this summer for €30 million (+ €5 million bonus).
A successful bet
Questioned after his arrival, Suzuki confided: “I have progressed and here I am finally playing for this club. I savor this moment. I want to help the team as much as possible. I play for Villa. I dreamed of coming here and now I just want to play for this club.” In Birmingham, he knew he was eagerly awaited since he was to succeed Emiliano Martinez, who had left for Chelsea. “Yes, of course, there are a lot of expectations. It’s not easy to come after him, but I want to help the team and I want to be like him. It’s a great challenge for me. I trained with him a little. He is a good person and I learned from him. It didn’t last long, but I learned a lot. I can’t wait to play against him now.” For this, he evolves under the orders of Unai Emery. A coach who pushed for his signature.
“I really enjoy playing for him. What he’s looking for is really interesting. It fits my style of play.” His excellent kicking game and his power and solidity on his line are real assets for the Villans. On the bench against Brighton a few days after his arrival, he then followed up with 4 matches in the Premier League (Arsenal, Hull City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham), 1 in the Champions League (Club Bruges) and 1 in the FA Cup against Coventry. Apart from this meeting where he spent 45 minutes on the field, he played all the other matches in full (495 minutes played). Unai Emery has already used it 6 times, including 5 times as a starter. Regarding his statistics, he has conceded 7 goals in all competitions and achieved 1 clean sheet.
He already makes Dibu Martinez forget
Beyond the numbers, the former Parma player, who makes multiple saves, has already made a very strong impression in England.“Zion Suzuki made an impressive debut at Aston Villa and, with the quality of his footwork, opened up new possibilities for Unai Emery”writes on Birmingham Mail about him. The English media, which gave it a score of 8 for its start to the season, adds: “Suzuki made an excellent debut at Villa after taking over from Emi Martinez. He showed great recovery quality and excellent ability to stop shots, particularly against Tottenham. He may even represent an improvement over Martinez, at least given the small sample of matches we have.
There BBC is of the same opinion. “Suzuki proves a worthy replacement for Martinez at Villa. The Japanese goalkeeper joined Aston Villa from Italian club Parma. And his performance against Spurs suggests he is more than capable of taking over from Emiliano Martinez, Argentina’s number one and fan favorite, who has moved to Chelsea. In particular, his two saves against Savinho within seconds of each other and a lucky moment when Archie Gray’s attempt grazed the post allowed Villa to manage a period of the match in which the home side dominated. One of the attractions of signing the 24-year-old in August was his apparent confidence on the ball and his ability to send the ball forward with very little momentum.
Everyone is won over
The British media adds: “And when everything seemed to be going his way that day, Suzuki found himself responsible for Villa’s second goal, his long ball from his own penalty area falling deep into the Tottenham half, where Jackson collected it and fired an unstoppable strike into the left corner.” In addition to the press, the Japanese also has Villans fans in his pocket. “During his debut at Villa Park, Villa fans immediately sang the chant ‘Zion Suzuki – the world number 1’, the same chant used for his predecessor, a sign that fans are turning the page on the Argentine and looking to make Suzuki feel at home.”bring it Birmingham Mail.
Already adopted, Suzuki brings happiness to a conquered Unai Emery. “We needed the goalkeeper. He is a guardian who must save us. He has to be up to the task in goal, with the qualities required and the skills needed to build the game. The way he goes about it is very important, and he sometimes takes risks, but that’s how he progresses and learns. “When building up the play, he can choose to play long balls because he has a very good through ball ability, and he did that for the second goal we scored.” After a very hectic summer, the Japanese proves on the pitch that he has all the qualities and potential to succeed in England and in Europe. PSG will have the opportunity to see its progress on December 8 in the Champions League.
