A 23-year-old Japanese mixed-race goalkeeper officially announced his move to the Premier League! Total transfer fee of €35 million sets a record, and he will replace Martinez.

On August 19, Beijing time, Premier League club Aston Villa officially announced the arrival of two new recruits, Suzuki and Ruggeri, for a combined total of €61.5 million.

The 23-year-old Japanese mixed-race goalkeeper Suzuki's transfer fee is €35 million, consisting of €30 million guaranteed and €5 million in performance-related bonuses.

During this summer transfer window, Suzuki had initially reached an agreement with Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain for a €35 million transfer fee, but the deal fell through due to agent commission issues.

However, Aston Villa later stepped in and matched Paris's offer. Suzuki's total transfer fee will also tie the highest record for a Japanese player transfer. In February 2019, former Japanese international Shoya Nakajima moved from Portimonense to Qatari club Al-Duhail for €35 million.

According to previous media reports, Suzuki will replace Argentine international Martinez as Aston Villa's starting goalkeeper in the new season. Suzuki is also the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League.

There are currently 10 Japanese players in the Premier League. Besides Suzuki, they include: Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Kōsuke Nakamura (Tottenham), Yūta Nakayama (Coventry City), Masaki Higashiguchi (Hull City), and Daizen Maeda (Ipswich Town).

The 24-year-old Italian international defender Ruggeri's transfer fee is €26.5 million. Last summer window, Ruggeri moved from Atalanta to Atletico Madrid for €17 million. Last season, Ruggeri made 47 appearances for Atletico Madrid, providing 7 assists.

Ruggeri's current market value is €28 million according to German Transfermarkt. In addition to Suzuki and Ruggeri, Aston Villa is also about to sign West Ham United right-back Wan-Bissaka.