Chelsea star Ian Maatsen has reportedly agreed to join Borussia Dortmund on loan. However, due to Chelsea’s current transfer ban, Maatsen is unable to sign for his new club. Dortmund has a £2 million deal in place to sign Maatsen on loan until the end of the season. Reports suggest that Maatsen will sign a new contract with Chelsea, which will put the club in a strong negotiating position for a potential permanent move in the summer.
Unfortunately, Maatsen’s switch to Dortmund this month is on hold due to a little-known transfer rule. Clubs are allowed to loan out up to seven players to foreign sides at one time, and Chelsea has already reached the maximum limit. To allow Maatsen to leave, Chelsea will have to terminate one of their current loan deals.
Currently, Romelu Lukaku, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Angelo Gabriel, Hakim Ziyech, David Datro Fofana, Gabriel Slonina, and Diego Moriera are all on loan with clubs abroad. There have been rumors that Ziyech could see his loan spell with Galatasaray end due to injuries and poor form. Moriera has also struggled to get playing time at Lyon and is another potential recall option.
The maximum limit of seven foreign loans was implemented two years ago to prevent teams from stockpiling talent. However, players who are both club-trained and under 21 years old are exempt from this regulation. Unfortunately for Maatsen, he does not meet these criteria as he turned 21 before the cutoff at the end of last season.
In addition to Maatsen, Chelsea has been active in the loan market this January, sending Alex Matos to Huddersfield and recalling Andrey Santos from his loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
Overall, while Maatsen’s move to Dortmund is currently on hold, there is still a possibility for the transfer to go through once Chelsea resolves their loan limit issue.