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Chelsea star Ian Maatsen has reportedly told the Premier League giants that he wants to join Borussia Dortmund permanently during the summer transfer window.
Maatsen played in the Championship with Burnley a year ago before returning to Chelsea and fighting for minutes under Mauricio Pochettino. As a result, he decided to go on loan to Germany.
Maatsen, who signed a new contract at Stamford Bridge before leaving for BVB, has been on fire for the Bundesliga giants this season and scored his first Champions League goal earlier this week.
Speaking after Dortmund’s 4-2 victory over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, Maatsen said he would like to stay in Germany, stating that he feels “very comfortable” at his loan club.
‘I always believed [I could] “I played for Chelsea, but unfortunately for some reason it didn’t go the way it should,” Maatsen said. CBS Sports after Tuesday night’s game.
Chelsea star Ian Maatsen is reportedly interested in joining Borussia Dortmund on a permanent basis.
Maatsen scored his first Champions League goal earlier this week against Atlético Madrid.
The 22-year-old Dutchman added: “Now I’m here [at Dortmund] I am very grateful for the opportunity. I can say that I am very proud of myself.
‘I continued to believe in myself and came here to experience my game at the highest level, play my game. Today I think I showed a very good performance. I’m very happy.’
Maatsen was seen as a rising star by Chelsea scouts while playing for PSV Eindhoven and impressed in the Netherlands under-21 national team setup before moving to England six years ago.
His versatility saw the 5ft 6in defender play as a left-back, full-back, centre-back and central midfielder during his debut season among the ranks of Chelsea’s Cobham academy before later specializing as a full-back.
Previous manager Frank Lampard gave Maatsen his first-team debut in 2019 after seeing him and others exceed expectations in the UEFA Youth League final that same year.
However, senior opportunities were difficult to find and a first loan to Charlton followed. Maatsen quickly became a fan favorite as he made 35 appearances in all competitions and scored his first professional goal against Doncaster in April 2021.
Chelsea believed a further step was necessary to get the best out of the adaptable star and a move to Coventry was agreed, where he again became a regular with 41 appearances and was later named the Championship team’s young player of the year.
Maatsen had had problems for minutes with Mauricio Pochettino after his return from Burnley.
He then remained in the second division with Burnley and scored four goals as the Clarets raced to the title and Maatsen was named in the division’s team of the season.
But after being deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, despite the club’s current crisis over form and league points, he was sent to Germany, where Maatsen is once again starring on another loan spell.
After making 15 appearances for Chelsea this season, albeit with less than 400 minutes in total, Maatsen arrived in Dortmund with something to prove after finding his opportunities under Pochettino limited.
He certainly has, making a name for himself in Germany and firing a shot past Jan Oblak to help Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League quarter-finals.