The future of Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen took a huge turn on Wednesday when widespread reports emerged linking him strongly with a move to Aston Villa.
Ian Maatsen, 22, is a talented left-back on Chelsea’s books, but he spent the second half of last season excelling out on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
The Athletic reported yesterday that Villa have agreed with Chelsea to buy Maatsen in a deal worth just above £35m.
Meanwhile, journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed via X that Villa could yet include one of their players as part of the deal to sign Maatsen.
The story will now unravel in the next few days regarding the future of the Dutch full-back, who’s currently at Euro 2024 with his national squad. There’s multiple reports in the media suggesting he could soon be a Villa player, though.
Villa fans deliver verdict on Ian Maatsen
Many Villa supporters on social media are delighted to hear rumours that they’ve agreed to sign Chelsea’s Maatsen this summer.
Here are some of their fans on X suggesting the 22-year-old is the perfect fit at Villa Park.
One fan wrote: “Is there a more perfect player for Emery’s system?”
Another said: “Great business.”
One supporter posted: “Absolutely buzzing.”
Another shared: “Blows my mind how this stuff can happen with the player currently mid tournament. What a signing this will be. Signals the end of Digne’s time with us you would think.”
Finally, one fan claimed: “That’s a steal.”
Have Chelsea made a mistake?
The Chelsea Chronicle would have liked to see Maatsen spend pre-season with the Blues so that new head coach Enzo Maresca could get a proper look at him.
It will be no surprise if the young left-back joins Villa and is a huge success. At the same time, £35m feels like a decent price for everyone involved for the player.
Chelsea already have Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella on their books, so Maatsen’s route into the XI looked tough anyway.
On top of that, journalist Simon Phillips has reported via Substack that Chelsea have a ‘strong interest’ in signing Bournemouth and Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez.