Manchester City and Aston Villa are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation of Ian Maatsen, who has excelled on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Manchester City and Aston Villa are interested in Ian Maatsen. The two Premier League bigwigs are closely monitoring the progress of the 22-year-old left-back at Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, the youngster’s new contract with Chelsea has a release clause worth £35 million.
Ian Maatsen and his struggles
Ian Maatsen has finally enjoyed quality top-flight football since joining Borussia Dortmund on loan from Chelsea in January. The Dutchman spent most of his formative years in the Netherlands before joining Chelsea in July 2018. He had the youth coaches raving about him.
However, unlike other academy graduates before him, the youngster could not establish a foothold in the first-team squad at Chelsea. Instead, the 22-year-old embarked on three loan spells in the lower leagues of English football between 2020 and 2023. Maatsen’s excellent stint with Burnley raised hopes of potentially becoming a regular for the Chelsea first team.
However, opportunities came few and far between for the Dutch full-back before Borussia Dortmund came calling. Maatsen has been excellent for the Bundesliga club, chipping in with two goals and two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions. Meanwhile, the Chelsea loanee’s progress at Borussia Dortmund has not gone unnoticed, alerting Aston Villa and Manchester City.
Move across Premier League on the cards?
Aston Villa’s interest in Ian Maatsen comes amid the club’s search for a new left-back. Unai Emery thought he was getting a long-term solution in Alex Moreno. However, the Spaniard faces an uncertain future at Villa Park, with Lucas Digne not setting the stage alight either. The Chelsea academy graduate has thus emerged as a viable target for Aston Villa.
As for Manchester City, they are eager to sign a recognised left-back, with Sergio Gomez failing to win over Pep Guardiola. The former Barcelona manager has utilised Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol as his left-back this season. So, Maatsen, a long-term target, is an option worth considering, especially with his valuation being around £35 million.
However, recent reports have claimed that the 22-year-old wants to permanently join Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window. So, it will be interesting to see if Aston Villa or Manchester City can turn Maatsen’s head as the battle to seal a deal worth £35 million heats up.
