Borussia Dortmund are reportedly keen on signing Chelsea academy graduate Ian Maatsen on a permanent deal this summer.
Ian Maatsen is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund, and reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Bundesliga giants will approach Chelsea for transfer talks next week. The youngster has a release clause worth £35 million in his contract with the West London club.
Borussia Dortmund are now focused on competing in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. Maatsen has been quite impressive for them since joining the club, and it is no surprise that they wanted to keep him permanently.
It will be interesting to see if they can secure an agreement with Chelsea. The 21-year-old left-back has the potential to develop into a top-class player, but he needs to play regularly. Staying in the Bundesliga will help him develop further and fulfil his potential.
The defender is valued at £35 million due to a release clause in his contract, but Dortmund are unwilling to pay that kind of money for him. The Bundesliga club have secured Champions League qualification for next season, and they have reached the final of the competitions this term. That will come as a major boost to their revenues, and they might be able to sign the Dutch defender the summer.
Maatsen needs to leave Chelsea
The young defender does not have a future at Chelsea, and it would make sense for the Blues to sell him and recoup some money for him. The West Londoners will need to improve their squad during the summer transfer window, and the departure of Maatsen will certainly boost their finances.
However, the academy graduate is an extremely talented player with a bright future, and Chelsea might end up regretting their decision to let him leave. The Blues already have Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella at their disposal. However, the Spaniard has been quite underwhelming since joining the club, and Chelsea might need to bring in an upgrade on him in the coming months.
Replacing Cucurella with Maatsen would have been ideal for Chelsea. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops over the next few weeks. Dortmund have a proven track record when it comes to nurturing talented young players, and the Dutch defender will feel that staying in Germany with them will be ideal for his development.
