Ian Maatsen has joined Borussia Dortmund on a loan deal for the remainder of the season from Chelsea after extending his contract until 2026.
Maatsen’s previous deal had been due to expire in 2025 but Chelsea have moved to prolong his stay at Stamford Bridge.
The Dutchman, meanwhile, completed his Dortmund medical on Wednesday ahead of a move to the Bundesliga club.
Maatsen said: “Borussia Dortmund tried hard to find me. I’ve been following BVB and its fans for a long time and was even at the Champions League game in Manchester in autumn 2022 to see the team live on the pitch.
“I’m very happy that the loan has worked out. I promise that I will give everything for the team’s success and I’m really looking forward to the yellow wall.”
Dortmund sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, added: “Due to our current personal situation, we have decided to take action again in the left-back position in the winter. With his strengths, Ian fits our requirements profile. He is a player who has a lot of speed, has a strong left foot and can also be used in various positions. We are very pleased that we were able to finalise this loan before our first Bundesliga game of the year.”
Chelsea earlier recalled David Fofana from Union Berlin, who is set to join Burnley on loan, to facilitate Maatsen’s move.
Maatsen, 21, has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season but only one Premier League start for Mauricio Pochettino’s side — in December’s 2-1 victory at home to Crystal Palace in which he was withdrawn shortly before the hour mark.
He has struggled for regular first-team minutes despite injuries to fellow left-backs Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella.
Following Chilwell’s injury in September, Pochettino preferred Cucurella and centre-back Levi Colwill ahead of Maatsen. Since Cucurella’s own injury last month, Colwill has started every league game at left-back.
Maatsen’s appearances this season have predominantly come in a more attacking midfield role; in his start against Palace, he played on the right of a front three before being replaced.
Maatsen joined Chelsea in the summer of 2018, aged 16, from PSV and has made a total of 16 first-team appearances for the Premier League side.
He spent three successive seasons away from Chelsea on loan, spending the 2020-21 campaign at Charlton in League One before moving the following season to Coventry City in the Championship.
Maatsen was then loaned to Burnley for the 2022-23 campaign, with his performances leading to his inclusion in the Championship team of the season as the best left-back.
He returned to Chelsea over the summer and featured heavily under Pochettino in their pre-season. On deadline day, though, Burnley made a loan offer with a £31.5million ($40.2m) obligation to buy, but Maatsen turned them down.
Maatsen will likely compete with Dortmund’s summer signing Ramy Bensebaini for minutes at left-back. The Algerian has started all but one Bundesliga game he has been available for, with Julian Ryerson deputising in his place.
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