Chelsea starlet Ian Maatsen, who is currently out on loan at Coventry City, has emerged as a transfer target for Bundesliga bigwigs Borussia Dortmund.
According to Simon Phillips, Borussia Dortmund have set their sights on a move for Chelsea youngster Ian Maatsen ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
Maatsen spent time at the academies of Feyenoord, Sparta Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands before joining the Chelsea youth setup in 2018. A promising left-back, the 20-year-old has made one senior appearance for the Blues but has spent the last couple of years out on loan.
Maatsen was away at Charlton Athletic for the entirety of the 2020/21 season, where he made more than 30 appearances. Back at Chelsea in the summer, he left for Coventry City, where he has been a regular in the side, racking up three goals and an assist in 42 games for the EFL Championship side.
With the season almost over, Maatsen will soon be back at Chelsea. But with Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso ahead of him in the pecking order, the Dutch Under-21 international is unlikely to have a future at Stamford Bridge and could be on the move yet again, even though Alonso faces an uncertain future at Chelsea.
Maatsen has drawn interest from Dutch club Feyenoord, but now Borussia Dortmund have also entered the fray to sign the Chelsea starlet. The German giants are looking to revamp their backline, having already secured the signings of Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck, while Manuel Akanji is likely to depart amid interest from Manchester United and Arsenal.
A new left-back is also likely to be on the agenda for Marco Rose’s side as they need a more reliable backup for Raphael Guerreiro. Current second-choice option Nico Schulz has not been good enough for a club of Borussia Dortmund’s stature and an upgrade in the position could serve the Black and Yellows well for the future.
Maatsen, to that end, has emerged as a target for Dortmund, with the Bundesliga giants likely to launch an approach for the Dutch left-back in the summer. However, whether Chelsea are receptive to offers for the 20-year-old remains to be seen, especially amidst Alonso’s linkd with Barcelona.