Ian Maatsen to join Borussia Dortmund on loan but sign new Chelsea contract
- Maatsen will join Dortmund on a straight loan without a purchase clause
- Dutch defender will also sign a new contract with Chelsea
- 21-year-old's long-term future at Stamford Bridge remains unclear
By Tom Gott
Chelsea are understood to have agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund to send Dutch defender Ian Maatsen on loan to the German side until the end of the season.
The Blues accepted a bid from Burnley last summer that would have seen Maatsen join the Clarets permanently for £31.5m this year, but the 21-year-old turned down the offer and has since managed under 400 minutes across all competitions this season, despite injuries to both Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella.
Having entered the final 18 months of his original contract, Maatsen was again made available this month and Dortmund quickly showed interest, although reports suggest they were reluctant to agree to Chelsea's demand of an obligatory purchase clause.
Instead, the two clubs have agreed on a straight loan which will see Maatsen spend the next six months with Dortmund before returning to Chelsea in the summer.
Fabrizio Romano notes Maatsen has also agreed to a new two-year extension with Chelsea that will take his contract to 2027. The new deal will also include a release clause to facilitate a future transfer.
Despite an injury crisis at left-back, Maatsen has struggled for minutes at Chelsea this season, with Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino usually deploying centre-back Levi Colwill out on the left and recently turning to right-back Malo Gusto as the primary alternative.
Indeed, most of Maatsen's appearances under Pochettino this season have come in a forward role, with the versatile Dutchman lining up on both wings and even at the top of Chelsea's midfield.
Chelsea hope to welcome Chilwell back to competitive action soon. The vice-captain has been out since September with a hamstring injury but is back in full training and approaching a welcome return to the matchday squad.
Cucurella, however, remains in crutches after undergoing surgery on his ankle last month and is not expected to return until late February at the earliest.
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