Chelsea are already making plans for the upcoming summer transfer window after realizing the need to strengthen their squad to compete for major trophies next season. Amid this, they seem to have made a decision on the future of Ian Maatsen that involves a potential future signing.
Chelsea Aiming to Sign Ian Maatsen Replacement
What Will Chelsea Do With Maatsen?
Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Blues are likely to look for opportunities to permanently sell their young left-back, who is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund until the end of the 2023/24 season. He adds that the London club expects to offload him after he returns from the loan spell and that there is a £35 million release clause in his contract, making the full-back an attractive summer target. Maatsen has impressed for the Bundesliga side since joining them in the winter window, being praised as a “great” player and having three goal contributions (one goal, two assists) in nine league appearances so far.
The Italian journalist also adds that Chelsea will be looking to sign a new young left-back in the summer to bolster that position for the long term. This comes after Ben Chilwell’s season-long injury struggle and Marc Cucurella failing to be reliable enough to play as a regular, with the Spaniard also suffering from injuries. While Romano cannot name any particular targets that the Blues might have for the left-back position, he states that the club will be looking for a talented young player who can be a long-term investment.
Which Other Position Does Chelsea Aim To Strengthen?
After surprisingly opting against making a single transfer in the January window, the Blues are likely to be quite proactive in the upcoming summer window to strengthen their squad. Apart from their interest in a new left-back, they are likely to sign a new striker after being linked with quite a few options over the course of this campaign.
Chelsea have been linked to have an interest in RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko and are also reportedly admirers of Brighton forward Evan Ferguson. They were also linked to be interested in Victor Osimhen in the winter window and might go back to sign him too. For the time being, Pochettino is focused on helping his side secure a strong finish to the 2023/24 season and possibly top it all off with the FA Cup title.
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