21 April 2024 , 06:00
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Borussia Dortmund face being priced out of a permanent deal for loanee Ian Maatsen - unless they pay a club-record fee to sign the 22-year-old.
The Chelsea left-back, who netted in Tuesday's 4-2 Champions League quarter-final triumph over Atletico Madrid, has flourished in Germany since joining the Bundesliga giants back in the January transfer window. But Dortmund were unable to negotiate a buy-option within the loan agreement as Chelsea were looking for close to £30m for the Dutchman.
BVB chief Sebastian Kehl has since revealed that figure was considered out of Dortmund's financial reach as for context, it would match the club-record fee shelled out to Stade Rennes for Ousmane Dembele back in 2016.
Maatsen's eye-catching displays at Signal Iduna Park also mean Chelsea will now demand his newly-inserted £35m release clause in full, in order to agree to a sale.
The full-back, who would reflect 100 per cent profit for the Blues against FFP if sold, wanted to stay at Chelsea but was unable to win over Mauricio Pochettino during the first half of the campaign when he made just three starts in all competitions.
Now he intends to prioritise regular playing time and he would like to stay at Dortmund with a summer exit from Stamford Bridge is now considered a near certainty.
But unless BVB are able to raise cash through player sales, they will face tough negotiations for both Maatsen and Jadon Sancho as their values have increased following productive loan spells.
Bayern Munich are also keen admirers of the player, who looks set to make Ronald Koeman's Euro 2024 squad, as Alphonso Davies is yet to agree a new contract amid interest from Real Madrid.
Ian Maatsen struggled to win over Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea earlier in the season (Paul Phelan/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock) Speaking to CBS Sports in midweek, Maatsen shed light on his Chelsea future after scoring his first ever Champions League goal. He said: "I always believed [I could] play for Chelsea, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. Now I’m here I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I’m very proud of myself. I kept believing in myself and came here to play my game at the highest level. Today I think I showed a very good performance."
Last September, Maatsen snubbed the chance to return to Burnley, where he previously won the Championship title under Vincent Kompany last season. The Clarets saw an initial loan offer that included a £31.5m obligation to buy accepted by the Blues but Maatsen decided to snub the move. He has scored two goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances for Dortmund this season.
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