Ian Maatsen, a defender for Chelsea, is doing well on loan at Bundesliga powerhouse Borussia Dortmund, and he has hinted that a permanent summer departure may be imminent.
The Chelsea highly-regarded 21-year-old is focused on making a permanent move to Dortmund and maintains that his “options are open” for the summer transfer window.
This is according to RUHR 24, who have reported on the Dutchman’s most recent remarks as he keeps becoming better in Germany.
After an excruciating few months at Stamford Bridge, where he battled for playing time under Mauricio Pochettino, Maatsen signed a loan to join Dortmund during the January transfer window.
Last summer, he made his way back to west London following a fruitful loan stint at Burnley, the Championship victors, where he played a crucial role in their promotion.
Despite Vincent Kompany, the manager of Clarets, hoping to make that loan permanent, Maatsen returned to his parent club as a peripheral player.
This season, the adaptable defender has made 15 appearances for the Blues, 12 of which have come in the Premier League. As a result, he was granted permission to move to Dortmund in pursuit of consistent first-team play.
Maatsen has made five appearances in the Bundesliga thus far and left a lasting impression, so it appears that the move has paid off.
When questioned about his future, the full-back told RUHR 24 that “we’ll see after the season,” demonstrating how content he is.
Maatsen remaining open-minded
After helping Dortmund defeat FC Koln 4-1 over the weekend, Maatsen responded, “My options are open,” when asked if he would wind up staying longer at the club.
In fact, Maatsen continued, “he would like to come back” given the right opportunity and a clear indication of his intentions.
Given Chelsea’s requirement to sell before they can buy this summer, a deal is almost certainly possible at this point as well.
In fact, a report that surfaced on Wednesday claims that Todd Boehly is prepared to let go of the left-back in exchange for a low-ball deal in an attempt to begin evening the score at Stamford Bridge.
For precisely that reason, despite being a vital member of Pochettino’s squad, stand-in captain Conor Gallagher is still connected to a summer departure from the team.
Another player the team might use to meet FFP requirements is Armaono Broja, who is presently on loan at Fulham. This could be a busy summer for The Bridge in terms of signings and departures.
Maatsen simply needs to continue playing for Dortmund as he is, and when the summer arrives, a formal offer for his services will undoubtedly be made.
Chelsea’s difficult trip to Manchester City in the Premier League awaits them when they return to action on Saturday night.
Although City seems to be playing at a far higher level currently than they were in November, the two teams played out an exciting 4–4 draw at Stamford Bridge.