“I wanted to stay at Chelsea”- Ian Maatsen says lack of minutes led to Borussia Dortmund loan transfer

Ian Maatsen reveals his feelings about remaining at Chelsea but understands the situation and joined Borussia Dortmund

Ian Maatsen insisted he wanted to remain at Chelsea but ultimately made a move to Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window. The fullback rarely received opportunities under Mauricio Pochettino, and moving to a different club was only a wise idea.

The left-back also understood the decision to loan him, as he acknowledged the competition at the club and the predicament they were in. Since joining the German club, the Dutchman has recorded two assists and a goal in the Bundesliga.

Maatsen had minimal chances to become a regular starter despite injuries to Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell. Instead of choosing the 22-year-old, Pochettino deployed Levi Colwill as a left-back, which sent a clear message that Maatsen wasn’t rated enough by Pochettino.

If the Blues academy player maintains his current form, then Dortmund might consider activating his £35 million release clause, though Maatsen will hope that Chelsea recalls him. After he said he wanted to continue in West London, he further added via Guardian:

“My plan was to stay at Chelsea. I’d done my loan spells. I thought I was ready to compete for the big clubs. But sometimes football works like this. I didn’t get a lot of opportunities. It’s not the end of the world, but you have to be ready. You always have to believe because football can go quickly.”

Maatsen was an emerging player during his loan spell at Burnley. When he joined Chelsea for the pre-season tour, he also impressed Pochettino, and the fullback’s performance convinced the Argentine manager to include him in his plans for this season.

When the season started, we hardly saw the fullback play, and when even he got the chance, he was utilised out of the position, and his game time was also reduced. A loan move was only sensible, and joining Dortmund was the best option given that the club has nurtured many young talents.

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Maatsen has made waves since joining them and will carry on doing so because the intensity of the league is lower than that of the Premier League. Now it remains to be seen if Dortmund will activate his release clause or if the Blues are going to bring him back.