CONFIRMED: Chelsea seal fresh contract for Ian Maatsen
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 19 Oct 2023 06:49 CDT
- 3 min read
Confirmed
Chelsea have activated an option to extend Ian Maatsen’s contract by a further year, FootballTransfers can confirm.
Club sources have informed us that the youngster’s deal has been extended to 2025 amid interest from Barcelona.
The 21-year-old had been eyed by the La Liga giants on a free transfer, while there had been interest from West Ham and Burnley over the summer, with the latter making a loan offer with an obligation to buy worth £31.5million on the final dead of the summer transfer window.
READ MORE: Liverpool and Chelsea 'ready massive Mbappe offers'
As first revealed by the Evening Standard, Chelsea have now secured the Dutchamn’s future despite the player knocking back several contract offers from the Blues over the past month.
Maatsen is competing for a spot at left-back with Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella. The youngster is hoping that he can try and make an impression under Mauricio Pochettino and compete for a starting role.
Maatsen joined Chelsea in 2018 from PSV Eindhoven and made his debut in the subsequent year.
READ MORE: When does the contract of every Chelsea player expire?
He has made just nine outings for the Blues so far, however, having been loaned out three times, including a hugely successful spell with Burnley last campaign in which he was included in the EFL Championship Team of the Season.
Will Reece James return for Arsenal clash?
It comes after the news that Reece James looks unlikely to feature in Chelsea's clash with Arsenal this weekend.
The Chelsea captain made just 76 minutes of the first game of the season before sustaining a hamstring injury.
The England international picked up a fresh knock in training, with doubt now cast on the defender making a return.
However, James has hinted that he is ready to make his return ahead of the London clash. He uploaded a picture of himself smiling during training on Wednesday, along with the caption: “Against all odds.”
