Chelsea trigger contract clause to avoid Ian Maatsen from leaving on a free transfer next summer
Chelsea have not had the best of experiences with losing players as free agents in recent times with the likes of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger and they are very careful to not let it happen with Ian Maatsen. The Belgian youngster will now stay at the club till 2025.
This will give the Blues the flexibility to either agree on a new long-term contract with him or eventually sell him next summer if a new deal does not materialise. Maatsen has been a bit-part player for the club this campaign.
Maatsen spent last season on loan at Burnley. The 21-year-old made a name for himself in Vincent Kompany’s team, albeit as a left-back. That said, here under Pochettino, he has been played predominantly as a left-winger and has been quite impressive.
As talented as a player is, unless he gives his long-term commitment to the club, there is no reason for Chelsea to keep him. Thanks to the contract clause, it at least gives the club the flexibility to sell him for a partial fee if a new deal isn’t agreed.
Does Ian Maatsen have a future at Chelsea? We are not very sure. As a left-back, he faces competition from Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella. However, the former is very injury prone and the latter is not really convincing at Stamford Bridge.
As a left-sided forward, his options are even more limited. With the likes of Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk, it is very unlikely that the Belgian youngster will get meaningful game time in that position going forward.
It was Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano who confirmed that Chelsea indeed were triggering the contract clause to buy them some time with respect to negotiations for Maatsen. They seem keen on keeping him in the long-term.
If Maatsen indeed agrees to a new deal with Chelsea, it’s good news because we will be signing a player with huge potential to become a star in the future. After that, it is up to him to take his chances.
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Pochettino’s opinion on Maatsen could also go a long way in making the club agree to keep him in the long run. Until now, it’s not very clear what the Argentinian thinks of the player but the coming months should give us a clear idea.