When Ian Maatsen came to Dortmund last winter, the young Dutchman was relatively unknown. That has changed fundamentally, the left-back even made it onto the Netherlands’ European Championship train – and could now leave BVB.
Will he return to England after the EURO? Ian Maatsen. IMAGO/kolbert-press
The loan of Ian Maatsen, who had played no role at Chelsea, proved to be a complete success – for Borussia Dortmund and the 22-year-old. 16 Bundesliga games, two goals, two assists and a kicker average rating of 3.25 are impressive. Added to that are strong performances in the Champions League, which earned him a call-up to the team of the Champions League season.
Unsurprisingly, BVB was interested in keeping the player long-term – and even those close to the player had already said at the beginning of May that he would not mind staying. “We are working on him staying at the club. The clubs have to sort that out among themselves,” Ian’s father Edward Maatsen told Football International and pointed out that BVB was actually the right place for his son’s further development.
No use of fixed transfer fee
The problem: Maatsen has a contract with Chelsea FC that runs until 2026, so the Blues have the final say. Although the loan contract stipulates a fixed transfer fee of just over 40 million euros, BVB ultimately did not make use of it and, according to The Athletic the same expire.
Aston Villa, however, seems willing to put this amount on the table for Maatsen. Coach Unai Emery is said to be looking for a left-wing player with attacking instincts, also with an eye on the upcoming challenges in the Champions League – a role that Maatsen can fill only too well.
How The Athletic reported that the Villans have agreed with Chelsea on a transfer of the Dutch international. The transfer fee is said to be more than 35 million pounds, or around 41 million euros. The left-back can now look forward to a long-term contract in Birmingham until June 30, 2030.
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9 hours 16:02 minutes ago
2024-06-19 19:59:16
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