It's been a tough season to be a Chelsea fan, although it wasn't much different last year.
In spite of the club spending an exorbitant amount of money on players over the last couple of years, Mauricio Pochettino's side currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League, one place better off than last year.
The Argentine hasn't been able to find a winning formula yet, although with so many of his stars underperforming or missing large chunks of the season, it's not surprising.
One of those stars is Ben Chilwell, and while he could still get back to his best in west London, he'll have to do so quickly as a loanee has been impressing elsewhere this year.
How Ben Chilwell has fared this season
It hasn't been the best of campaigns for the former Leicester City man so far – to put it mildly – although that can and has been said about most of Chelsea's first team over the last few months, so he's hardly unique in that respect.
Now, while the 27-year-old hasn't been in great form for Pochettino, earning a 5/10 for his season so far from GOAL's Krishan Davis, his most significant problem in 2023/24 has been his fitness.
The Milton Keynes-born defender has made just 18 appearances for the Blues this season. A hamstring injury kept him sidelined between late September and early January, and his lack of fitness kept him out for another week after that.
It's an unfortunate trend that doesn't seem to have an end in sight for the 19-capped Englishman.
2020/21
2
84
7
2021/22
1
178
45
2022/23
2
117
20
2023/24
2
108
18
Total
7
487
90
Since joining the club in the summer of 2020, he's missed an average of 22 games a season. While he can be a valuable contributor to the team at his best, Pochettino will always wonder when his next layoff will be.
This thinking could see the club promote one of their youngsters into Chilwell's spot next season, a youngster enjoying an excellent loan spell at present.
Chilwell's perfect replacement at Chelsea
Chelsea's youngster in question is 21-year-old Dutchman Ian Maatsen.
The "extremely physical" star, as described by journalist Benjy Nurick, joined the Blues' youth setup from PSV Eindhoven in July 2018, and after making 57 appearances for the various junior sides, he spent the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons on loan with Charlton Athletic and Coventry City, respectively.
Appearances
35
42
42
9
Goals
1
3
4
1
Assists
3
1
6
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.11
0.09
0.23
0.33
After impressing with the Sky Blues in the Championship, the Pensioners opted to send their young full-back on loan to Vincent Kompany's exciting Burnley project for the 2022/23 campaign. There, he scored four goals and provided six assists in 42 appearances as the team won the league.
The Clarets were so impressed with Maatsen's ability that they reportedly made a £31.5m offer for him in the summer, only for the player to turn it down, clearly backing himself to make it at Stamford Bridge.
Unfortunately, opportunities were scarce in the first half of the season. After making 15 appearances, with only three being starts, he went out on another loan, this time joining German giants Borussia Dortmund, a move that has worked out fantastically.
Since joining the team in early January, the "superb" Vlaardingen-born dynamo, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, has started all nine games for die Schwarzgelben, scoring one goal and providing two assists.
If Chelsea fans needed more convincing that Maatsen could be their future left-back, then Nurick's claims that there are "comparisons to Ashley Cole" in the way he plays might do it.
These comparisons mainly stem from the power and physicality the young Dutchman demonstrates in his play and his ability to beat opposition defenders with those traits rather than attempting a neat trick.
Chelsea have had a howler with Lampard signing whose value has plunged £37m
The Blues star has struggled for consistency at Stamford Bridge.
ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 5, 2024
Ultimately, Chilwell has the rest of the season to make a case for his continued selection at left-back – if he remains fit, that is – but the brilliant form of Maatsen in Germany cannot be ignored, and he should be given a genuine chance next season.
