Ian Maatsen, the Dutch footballer, has joined Borussia Dortmund on a loan deal for the remainder of the season from Chelsea. This move comes after Maatsen extended his contract with Chelsea until 2026. Previously, his contract was set to expire in 2025.
Maatsen completed his medical with Dortmund on Wednesday and is now officially a part of the Bundesliga club. He expressed his excitement about joining Dortmund, stating that he has been following the team and its fans for a long time. He even attended a Champions League game in Manchester in 2022 to see the team play live. Maatsen promised to give his all for the team’s success and is looking forward to playing in front of the famous “yellow wall” at Dortmund’s stadium.
Sebastian Kehl, Dortmund’s sporting director, explained that they decided to bring in Maatsen due to their current situation in the left-back position. They believe that Maatsen’s strengths, including his speed and strong left foot, make him a good fit for the team. They are pleased to have finalized the loan deal before their first Bundesliga game of the year.
To facilitate Maatsen’s move, Chelsea recalled David Fofana from Union Berlin, who is set to join Burnley on loan. Maatsen, who is 21 years old, has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season but has only started one Premier League game. Despite injuries to other left-backs like Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella, Maatsen has struggled to get regular playing time.
Maatsen joined Chelsea in 2018 from PSV and has since made a total of 16 first-team appearances for the club. He has spent three successive seasons on loan at Charlton, Coventry City, and Burnley. His loan spell at Burnley was particularly successful, earning him a place in the Championship team of the season as the best left-back.
At Dortmund, Maatsen will likely compete with Ramy Bensebaini for minutes at left-back. Bensebaini has been a regular starter for the team, with Julian Ryerson serving as his backup.
Overall, Maatsen’s loan move to Dortmund provides him with an opportunity to gain more playing time and continue his development as a young player.