Patrick Berger last night dropped some very interesting Chelsea transfer news.
The Sky Sports Germany pundit last night claimed that Ian Maatsen, the left back who has been on loan at Borussia Dortmund since January, is intent on making that move permanent this summer.
Berger reports that there’s a release clause of between €35m and €40m which the German club could activate to make the move happen.
Chelsea are keen to sell, by all accounts. The Blues have dug themselves into a big hole financially, and Maatsen is one of the key “pure profit” assets who has been chosen as a sacrifice to the gods of FFP (and to pay off the amortisation on Marc Cucurella’s transfer).
In an ideal world, Chelsea would like to hold out and create a bidding war for Maatsen’s services, now he’s proved himself at Champions League level. But that June 30th accounting deadline looms large, and wrapping up a sale before then is vital.
Ian Maatsen (22/🇳🇱) wants to leave Chelsea on a permanent deal in summer. According to our information #CFC is already informed about his plan. The left-back (2 goals, 2 ass. for #BVB) feels very comfortable in Dortmund and is keen to stay. Release clause: €35-40m. @SkySportDE
— Patrick Berger (@berger_pj) April 18, 2024
A bright future
In fact, we thought his superb 6 months in Germany could potentially have elevated Maatsen’s status so much that even bigger teams than Dortmund might come in for him. That could yet be the case. But Maatsen is a smart kid who has made very clever career decisions so far, and moving to Dortmund on a permanent move looks very likely to be just that.
Like top talents Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland before him, Maatsen can go and shine in an attacking team in an open league, knowing the club won’t stand in his way if a true giant comes in with a monster offer.
Chelsea may well regret selling him – but at least they’re now guaranteed a solid wedge of money in return. We don’t agree with the strategy which got us to this stage, but there’s no backing out now.
