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- The player joined the Dortmund after struggling for minutes under Pochettino
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Chelsea star Ian Maatsen has reportedly told the Premier League giants that he wants to join Borussia Dortmund on a permanent basis during the summer transfer window.
Maatsen was playing in the Championship with Burnley a year ago before returning to Chelsea and struggling for minutes under Mauricio Pochettino. As a result, he decided to go to Germany on loan.
Maatsen – who signed a new deal at Stamford Bridge before departing for BVB – has been on fire for the Bundesliga giants this season, and scored his first-ever Champions League goal earlier this week.
Speaking after Dortmund’s 4-2 victory over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final tie, Maatsen said he would like to stay in Germany – claiming he feels ‘very comfortable’ at his loan club.
‘I always believed [I could] play for Chelsea but unfortunately for some reason it didn’t work out how it should’ve,’ Maatsen told CBS Sports after the game on Tuesday night.
Chelsea star Ian Maatsen is reportedly keen to join Borussia Dortmund on a permanent basis
Maatsen scored his first-ever Champions League goal earlier this week against Atletico Madrid
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The 22-year-old Dutchman went on to add: ‘Now I’m here [at Dortmund] I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I can say I’m very proud of myself.
‘I kept believing in myself and came here to experience playing my game at the highest level, playing my game. Today I think I showed a very good performance. I’m very happy.’
Maatsen was spotted as a rising star by Chelsea scouts while playing for PSV Eindhoven and impressed in Holland’s Under-21 national team set-up before making the move to England six-years ago.
His versatility saw the 5ft 6in defender play at left-back, wing-back, centre-back and in central midfield during his debut season amongst the ranks at Chelsea’s Cobham academy before later specialising as a full-back.
Previous manager Frank Lampard handed Maatsen his first-team debut in 2019 after watching him and others exceed expectations in the UEFA Youth League final that same year.
However, senior opportunities were hard to come by and a first loan move to Charlton followed. Maatsen quickly became a fan favourite as he made 35 outings in all competitions, scoring his first professional goal against Doncaster in April 2021.
Chelsea believed a further step-up was needed to get the best out of the adaptable star and a move was agreed with Coventry, where he again became a regular with 41 appearances and was later named the Championship side’s young player of the year.
Maatsen had struggled for minutes under Mauricio Pochettino after his return from Burnley
He then remained in the second-tier with Burnley and scored four goals as the Clarets raced to the title and Maatsen was named in the division’s team of the season.
But after being deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, despite the club’s ongoing crisis for form and league points, he was shipped off to Germany where Maatsen is again starring in another loan move.
After making 15 appearances for Chelsea this term, albeit with less than 400 minutes in total, Maatsen arrived in Dortmund with a point to prove after seeing opportunities limited under Pochettino.
He’s certainly done that, making a name for himself in Germany and firing a shot past Jan Oblak to help Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League’s final-four.
