The solution to Man Utd's problems is at Dortmund but it's not Sancho

Tom Weber

2 Mar 2024 12:15 CST
4 min read

Ian Maatsen, Jadon Sancho, Man Utd — © IMAGO

Jadon Sancho is still underperforming, but Borussia Dortmund teammate Ian Maatsen might just be playing his way onto Manchester United's radar.

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Struggling Borussia Dortmund recorded a much-needed win away at Union Berlin on Saturday. Karim Adeyemi opened the scoring late in the first half before Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen sealed the deal for the Black and Yellow.

Man Utd exile Jadon Sancho was yet again anonymous, continuing an increasingly worrying trend of poor performances that is not just a concern to Dortmund but also to the Red Devils, who had hoped that the winger would boost his transfer value with a good loan stint.

While Sancho floundered, Maatsen starred, recapturing the incredibly promising form he showed when he first arrived in Germany. His goal, which saw him win the ball back before cooly slotting it past keeper Frederik Ronnow, was a reward for a much-improved performance after the Dutchman had been just as underwhelming as the rest of Edin Terzic's team in recent fixtures.

Man Utd should consider Maatsen

With his goal, Maatsen again showed that he has the potential to be one of Europe's best attacking full-backs. Data experts SciSports rate the 21-year-old very highly indeed and they believe that he still has some massive room to grow.

This should make him a very interesting player for Man Utd. It is clear that the Dutchman does not have a future at Chelsea and he will depart Stamford Bridge in the summer. While Dortmund will reportedly have a right of first refusal on him in the upcoming transfer window, it will be quite tough for BVB to muster the resources required to pay his €40.6 million release clause.

This presents an opportunity to Man Utd. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils are in the market for a left-back. Last summer, they attempted to sign Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella and the Spaniard could again be available in light of the news that the Blues are targeting Archie Brown.

However, Maatsen would fit the profile of player Erik ten Hag and company are looking for much more than Cucurella. If Man Utd were to sign a Chelsea left-back, they should make sure that it's the Dutchman.

According to Romano, Man Utd would like to add a younger left-back rather than a player in his prime, which means that they likely won't be in for someone like Alphonso Davies, though a recent twist in his Real Madrid transfer saga may yet convince the Red Devils to make a move.

At 21 years of age, Maatsen is still very much at the beginning of his career. According to SciSports, the youngster has the potential to become a key player for Man Utd and to become better than Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw, Ten Hag's current options (when fit) in the left-back position.

Moreover, Maatsen already boasts Premier League experience and is currently playing at a good level for Dortmund. The left-back position has given Ten Hag a lot of headaches this season, but his compatriot could be an ideal long-term solution to that problem.