Chelsea star makes surprise transfer admission

Tom Weber

• Updated: 22 Jan 2024 19:47 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen is already thinking about potentially staying at Borussia Dortmund beyond this season.

The Dutchman has only played two games for his loan club so far, but his impact has been immediate. Malen was thrown into the Dortmund lineup against Darmstadt by head coach Edin Terzic less than 48 hours after arriving in Germany and impressed on his debut.

He showed even more signs of promise in his second outing, again starting for the Black and Yellow against Koln at the weekend. Maatsen put in yet another solid shift, both offensively and defensively, and rewarded himself with a brilliant assist for compatriot Donyell Malen.

His good start to life in the Bundesliga already has Borussia Dortmund fans hoping that the 21-year-old will stick around for longer than just six months. In theory, Dortmund have a good chance of snapping the left-back up.

Though they do not have a purchase option, they reportedly have the right of first refusal on Maatsen, who will have a release clause of between €30 million and €40m in the summer. The problem is that this is a significant financial commitment for a Bundesliga club and could easily make Maatsen the club's record signing.

Maatsen hints at summer move

Only time will tell whether a deal will be feasible for Dortmund, but Maatsen's first two games have certainly been encouraging and he may just be worth the money down the line.

Moreover, his recent comments will have heartened fans and club bosses alike, with the Dutchman openly admitting that he could see himself wearing BVB's colours for more than just half a season.

"It feels like I've been playing with these guys for years," Maatsen told the media after Dortmund's 4-0 rout of Koln, as relayed by WAZ. "We can achieve great things if we continue like this."

Regarding his future, the left-back said: "I'm keeping my options open. I'd like to come back. Why not [stay at BVB]? We will see what the future holds." It's very likely that Maatsen has already played his final Chelsea game despite extending his contract before heading to Dortmund.

The Blues tried to offload him last summer and again this month, but seemingly no clubs were interested in paying big money for the defender in the winter. It will be a different story in the next transfer window if he keeps up his current form.