Report: Ian Maatsen keen on Borussia Dortmund stay
As far as transfer business goes for Borussia Dortmund, securing new fullbacks has been on top of the list since last summer. Over the winter, Ian Maatsen was brought in with limited minutes for parent club Chelsea.
The six month loan was seen as a stop-gap until the club could identify who would occupy those positions come next season. As it turns out, signing Maatsen was a stroke of brilliance on behalf of the club, with the young Dutchman coming in and having an instant impact for his side.
Fast forward to April now, and Maatsen is one of the first names on Dortmund's starting 11 week in, week out. He's even just come off of a very strong performance in the Champions League, scoring a very important goal in Dortmund's 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid, which has sent them into the semi finals of the compeition.
It's no surprise then that the club would look to try and keep the player beyond the six month loan in question. According to reports by Sky Sport, Maatsen is indeed ready to make his move away from Chelsea a permanent one, with the player keen on staying with Dortmund on a permanent basis.
Maatsen's time with Dortmund has been mutually beneficial, with the club putting their trust in the player despite his limited minutes in the Premier League, allowing him to shine and in turn getting an exemplary fullback that they can rely on. As has already been made clear, the release clause for Maatsen is closer to 35-40 million euros, which Dortmund will likely try to negotiate down a bit.
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Dortmund have a hefty rebuild ahead of them, so negotiations with Chelsea will be mandatory for them to try and fit Maatsen into their transfer plans. The club will also be looking to reinforce in midfield and out wide should Donyell Malen leave the Westfalenstadion for pastures new.