Chelsea left embarrassed as Champions League star is rejected by Pochettino
This article contains affiliate links, which means we’ll receive a commission on any sales generated from it. Mauricio Pochettino will be left wondering if Chelsea made a mistake in January. (Image: Getty)
Chelsea have seen their decision to send Ian Maatsen out on loan to Borussia Dortmund backfire on the biggest stage after the Dutchman helped his temporary employers to the Champions League semi-finals. He scored the second goal in their second leg 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid and has been a revelation since departing Stamford Bridge.
After a successful loan spell at left-back for Burnley last season, Maatsen remained at Chelsea as he set his sights on impressing Mauricio Pochettino. However, despite injuries and inconsistent form from Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella, Maatsen made just 12 Premier League appearances and only one start. The majority of his matches under Pochettino were in unorthodox forward areas and he was unable to gain any consistency or rhythm in England, before being shipped out to Dortmund. But in the Bundesliga, the 22-year-old has become a key member of the team and perhaps would have had the same effect at Stamford Bridge if more trust was placed in him.
Speaking after his European heroics with Dortmund, Maatsen admitted that he wanted to perform at Chelsea as opposed to elsewhere. However, circumstances dictated that Pochettino had to trim his squad and the left-back has subsequently gained valuable experience in Germany. Ian Maatsen celebrating his first Champions League goal with Jadon Sancho and Marcel Sabitzer. (Image: Getty)
He told CBS Sports: “It’s such an amazing feeling, you know?
I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a kid, especially scoring my first goal in the Champions League. I’m so happy I can’t even describe it. “I always had the belief to play for Chelsea but unfortunately for some reasons it didn’t work out. But, now I am here, I am very grateful for this opportunity.
I came here to experience at the highest level and play my game and today I think I showed a very good performance.” Chelsea will be wary that Maatsen has just over two years left on his contract after penning a new deal in January before joining Dortmund. Though no option to buy was inserted in his loan, sporting director Sebastian Kehl has hinted that they would be interested in a permanent move at the end of the season, which Maatsen may consider after being treated as a star player at Dortmund. Ian Maatsen struggled to win over Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.
“But the negotiating position was not such that we could implement it and so we will accept it for now. “It’s good that we have the boy (Maatsen) here now. We can watch him intensively and get to know him on and off the pitch and, of course, we will then deal intensively with the situation. “But that’s not something that concerns me at the moment, because we still have a little time for it.
But of course, we’ll see what we can do in the summer and, above all, what’s economically feasible. Unfortunately, that’s always a big topic.”
