Burnley is negotiating to recruit Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen on a season-long loan
The 21-year-old spent the previous campaign on loan with the Clarets in the Championship and was essential in ensuring their promotion to the Premier League. Maatsen scored four goals and provided six assists as Burnley made a record-breaking ascent to the top division and kept 11 clean sheets in 39 games.
Maatsen joined Chelsea this summer for preseason training and made an impression playing in more advanced positions on the field, but he hasn’t yet started a Premier League game for Chelsea. He played as a substitute for the Blues against Liverpool and Luton Town, but he was unable to make an impact. He is behind Chelsea vice-captain Ben Chilwell in the hierarchy, and the Englishman has made it difficult for Maatsen to obtain any playing time.
If no bidders are found for Marc Cucurella, the two-time Champions League champions may seek a loan arrangement for the Dutch youth international so that he can obtain Premier League experience. Manchester United has expressed interest in the Spaniard as they search for a last-minute left-back to fill in for injured Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
Cucurella is on United’s wishlist, but they haven’t taken any action to get him, leaving Chelsea to continue with their incredibly expensive full-back acquisition from last summer. Burnley has splashed plenty to sign quality to keep them up because they are desperate to avoid falling back into the Championship.
Even though they have already added 11 players to their roster this summer, they still need a left-back to bolster their defence, so they turned to Maatsen. If a deal can be reached with Chelsea is still to be seen. After his strong preseason performances, manager Mauricio Pochettino might wish to keep him.
See More:
- Ian Maatsen salary at Chelsea? See Chelsea wages!
- Top five highest paid Chelsea players
- Top 5 Most hated Chelsea players
