The 2024/25 season holds real promise for Chelsea following a brilliant end to last season which saw the Blues secure European Football despite losing 11 of their 38 Premier League matches.
Mauricio Pochettino led the Blues to five consecutive wins during the closing weeks of the campaign to secure a sixth-placed finish, but it wasn’t enough for the Argentinian to keep his job.
The club parted ways with the former PSG boss, appointing Enzo Maresca as the club’s new manager, looking to build on Pochettino’s work with all the Blues’ new additions.
The Italian has huge expectations on his shoulders to transform the club and take them back to a title race, aiming to claim their first Premier League title since the 2016/17 campaign.
However, the new manager will have a lot of big decisions to make on the future of numerous first-team members, but he simply can’t afford to let go of one talent who excelled away from Stamford Bridge last season.
The latest on Ian Maatsen's future at Chelsea
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen is attracting interest from Aston Villa and Manchester City after his impressive loan stint at Borussia Dortmund last term.
The 22-year-old, who featured in the Champions League final, impressed during his temporary stint in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals and providing two assists in his 16 appearances for the German side.
The report from Bailey also states that the Dutchman has a £35m release clause in his contract, with Chelsea potentially looking to make a hefty profit on the full-back to boost their FFP status.
However, whilst it may seem a good deal to receive a hefty sum for a player with just 15 appearances for Chelsea’s first-team, Maresca can’t afford to let go of Maatsen, with the talent potentially following in the footsteps of one player who’s excelled since leaving the club.
Another Havertz situation for Chelsea
Last summer, the Blues agreed to sell midfielder Kai Havertz to rivals Arsenal for a reported £60m in an effort to boost their financial situation after a huge influx of incomings at Stamford Bridge.
However, since his departure, the former Bayer Leverkusen talent has excelled under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, leaving Chelsea with a scenario of what could have been for the German had he remained with the Blues.
He’s excelled in a false nine role during the 2023/24 campaign at the Emirates, scoring 13 times in the Premier League, whilst also providing seven assists as Arsenal came within touching distance of winning the title.
Games
37
Goals
13
Assists
7
Goals + assists per 90
0.5
Chances created
46
Duels won
197
A year on from the deal, the club are presented with another precarious situation with Maatsen, especially considering the interest from another top English club in champions Manchester City.
Maresca already has Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella in the left-back area, but given his temporary stint at Dortmund, Maatsen has showcased his talents on the biggest of stages, also having the potential to improve down the line.
The "exceptional" youngster, as dubbed by former Coventry City teammate Simon Moore, will want consistent first-team minutes to be able to reach his full potential, with Maresca needing to make a bold call in keeping the Dutchman, making him his first-choice on the left-hand side.
The club have become too synonymous with offloading young talents too soon, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah both going on to thrive in the Premier League.
Maatsen is potentially next on the list should the club decide to part ways with him this summer, but, Maresca can buck the trend this window, handing the youngster the opportunity to thrive at Stamford Bridge and cementing himself as a key player under the new management team.
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