Major Chelsea transfer hits €30m asking price stumbling block

Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk

• 2 Jan 2024 14:57 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund are in negotiations over the transfer of Ian Maatsen.

German media reported on Tuesday that the clubs are in advanced talks about a possible move for the left-back. Talks have been making good progress recently, but they have now hit a major hurdle: Chelsea's asking price.

The transaction would be a loan with an obligation to buy the 21-year-old at the end of the season. According to the latest reports, the Blues have set the transfer fee for the summer at a whopping €30 million.

This is a significant figure for most Bundesliga sides and Dortmund are naturally keen to get a cheaper deal. Interest in alternatives such as Sergio Reguilón, who was loaned by Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United until today, and Fran Garcia (Real Madrid) has faded in recent weeks.

The Black and Yellow remain keen to bolster their left-back options as Ramy Bensebaini will be at AFCON with Algeria and could miss as many as six games.

Maatsen's disappointing time at Chelsea

Chelsea intend to sell several players, including Maatsen, in the winter transfer period. This is to finance the arrival of new reinforcements. Manchester City in particular, where Pep Guardiola is very fond of him, were mentioned as a possible destination, but talk of a switch up north has gone cold lately.

Maatsen finally made his debut as a starter for Chelsea last week. The left-back was surprisingly deployed as a right winger by Mauricio Pochettino against Crystal Palace, but this choice was not a success and the Dutchman seems to have played his last game.

After all, the London giants are in a disappointing tenth place in the Premier League and that is enough reason for them to open their wallets again in the transfer market. This will therefore be at the expense of Maatsen, who had the option to leave for Burnley for €31.5m last summer.

However, the defender chose to remain loyal to Chelsea and fight for his opportunities in London, but has so far been disappointed. His minute counter stands at only 376 for the season. Maatsen is still contracted to Chelsea until 2025, having arrived from PSV in 2018 for €110,000.