Aston Villa are on the brink of signing left-back Ian Maatsen after agreeing a deal worth over £35 million with Chelsea.
The Dutchman’s contract at Chelsea had been slated to end in the summer of 2025 but was extended by another year in January. After the extension was signed, the Blues farmed him on loan to Borussia Dortmund and Ian Maatsen quickly became a regular starter in Edin Terzic’s side. He helped Borussia Dortmund qualify for the Champions League final, where they were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid.
As Dortmund’s opportunity to trigger the £35million release clause in Maatsen’s contract expired, Aston Villa and Chelsea reportedly negotiated a fee over that figure. Personal terms are already in place on a six-year deal, which the Villans are working to sort out ahead of a potential swoop.
Aston Villa pushing to sign Ian Maatsen
Aston Villa are pushing to sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his squad ahead of their return to the Champions League. They have stepped up their interest to sign the Dutchman, who proved his quality last season during a five-month loan spell with Dortmund.
The pacey and attacking left-back played 23 times for the German club, registering three goals and two assists. Before joining Dortmund on loan, Maatsen made just 15 appearances for Chelsea during the first half of the season—with most of those outings coming off the bench under Mauricio Pochettino.
His dazzling displays at Dortmund have also led to international recognition, with coach Ronald Koeman calling up the 22-year-old to the Netherlands squad for the 2024 European Championships at the expense of the injured midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The 22-year-old hugely impressed on a season-long loan at Burnley in the Championship, helping the Lancashire-based club clinch automatic promotion under the tutelage of Vincent Kompany. With Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell the senior left-backs at Chelsea, it does make sense for Maatsen to leave Stamford Bridge for regular opportunities.
A move to Aston Villa appears ideal as it would allow Maatsen to play more regularly and grow under the guidance of Unai Emery. If they can pull it off, he would be a quality long-term signing for Villa.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.