Why Chelsea can't afford to lose Ian Maatsen amid exit rumours
Cameron Smith
- 29 Sept 2023 13:00 BST
- 5 min read
On Transfer Deadline Day, Chelsea were seemingly happy to let Ian Maatsen leave the club.
A bid worth around €36 million from Burnley had been accepted and despite his regular use in pre-season, the Blues had sanctioned an exit.
However, Maatsen himself rejected a permanent transfer back to Turf Moor after he spent the 2022-23 season on loan at the club. The Dutchman wanted to remain at Chelsea, even though he was yet to start a Premier League game.
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That fact is still true as Mauricio Pochettino has not yet trusted Maatsen with a starting berth in the English top flight.
He has started both Carabao Cup games this campaign (a 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon and Wednesday’s 1-0 victory against Brighton), but Maatsen has found himself as a bridesmaid and not the bride in Chelsea’s youth revelation.
In total, Chelsea have spent €652.6m on players aged 23 or under since the start of 2023 as they continue to break records under the ownership of Todd Boehly.
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They have lost talented stars such as Mason Mount and Lewis Hall in the process and currently sit 14th in the Premier League table after a poor start to the new campaign.
However, Chelsea believe in their new transfer policy and despite the fact they were willing to sell him this summer and he hasn’t featured much under Pochettino, Maatsen can play a key role in this new Blues team.
The Dutchman spent the majority of last season playing as a left-back at Burnley, with Vincent Kompany granting the youngster full attacking licence.
He scored the only goal of the game on his Burnley debut during a 1-0 win over Huddersfield in August 2022 and ended his spell at Turf Moor with four goals and six assists in 39 Championship appearances for the club.
Under Pochettino, however, Maatsen’s limited minutes have come in a far more advanced role. The 21-year-old played on both wings and as a No.10 during pre-season and his starring performance against Brighton came off the right flank.
While he has been deployed mostly as a full-back or a wing-back during his time in Chelsea’s youth set-up or on loan spells away, Maatsen is clearly viewed as a more attacking option by Pochettino.
His close control is exceptional and he works really well in tight spaces. As a result, his technical quality has translated seamlessly from defence to attack and Maatsen does not look out of place in this Chelsea side.
The 21-year-old has brilliant football intelligence and his movement is really clever for a natural defender - meaning he can pick up a few yards of space in a tightly-congested area to link-up with others.
His defensive work-rate is also top notch, with Maatsen enabling Chelsea to press high and win the ball back in advanced areas and he is always looking to play forward.
The Dutchman linked up really well with Nicolas Jackson in pre-season and that relationship continued against Brighton. It may not seem the most luxurious duo given the money spent by Chelsea, but Maatsen and Jackson are an effective pair. With Cole Palmer there too, Chelsea have the start of a very exciting forward line.
Maatsen to leave Chelsea?
Many fans have clamoured for Maatsen to become the club’s starting left-back, but while he can certainly perform that role, Pochettino evidently sees him as someone who can contribute in the front four.
He is not a big-money signing like Palmer, Raheem Sterling or Mykhailo Mudryk, but Maatsen clearly loves Chelsea. He rejected the opportunity to join Burnley in favour of fighting for his place at Stamford Bridge and that hunger is something money can’t buy.
Furthermore, FootballTransfers’ data analytics partner SciSports say that while Maatsen’s current ability is that of a ‘Rotation Player’ at Chelsea - an accurate statement given his role right now - he has the potential to become a ‘Key Player’ at Stamford Bridge.
Whether that is at left-back or in a more advanced role may depend on how adventurous Pochettino decides to deploy his full-backs, but one thing is for sure - Chelsea should be glad that Maatsen rejected a permanent transfer away and a contract extension for the Dutchman will be just reward for his talent.
However, The Telegraph have reported that the Blues are likely to be forced to listen to offers for Maatsen if no significant progress is made on a new deal.
With the money spent by Chelsea, it’s perhaps little surprise they need to balance the books with sales, but Maatsen has all the qualities needed to make a visible impact at Stamford Bridge and he would be sorely missed if Chelsea do end up selling.
