Ian Maatsen set to leave Chelsea on permanent deal in summer after impressing on loan at Borussia Dortmund

The first half of the 2023–24 season saw Maatsen play just 201 minutes in the Premier League after he rejected a permanent transfer to Burnley. Maatsen has shown promise in his first month at Dortmund, but despite Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella's injury concerns, Pochettino has apparently not included him in his future plans at Chelsea. According to Fabrizio Romano, Maatsen may be let go in the summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Let me start by mentioning a player who could really leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window - he already left on loan in January and is doing very well - Ian Maatsen.

“At Borussia Dortmund, [in] his first five games [he’s made] a fantastic impact, doing very, very well. The fans are super happy, the manager [Edin] Terzic is very happy and also people into the club. He provided two assists already, but the quality of the performances are very, very good.

“What they want to do at Borussia Dortmund is to wait until the end of the season and then decide what to do. It’s a loan deal [with] no buy option included, but when Ian Maatsen signed a new contract at Chelsea, before joining Borussia Dortmund, there was a release clause [added] and it’s going to be valid this summer.”

Romano also revealed that the defender has a £35 million ($44.2m) release clause and that Dortmund will look to go for Maatsen in the summer. Chelsea will be very open to that sale as they look to raise sales for the summer in order to be in line with Financial Pair Play and Profitability and Sustainability. Todd Boehly has been touted to break the bank again in the summer.

The Dutchman will be in action with BVB when they take on Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, February 17. At the end of the season, he will return to London before awaiting clarity on his future, with a permanent sale increasingly likely.