Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen has rejected the chance to re-join Feyenoord this summer as he wishes to prove himself to Blues boss Thomas Tuchel, according to reports.
The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at Coventry City in the Championship, impressing for Mark Robins’ side.
With Tyrell Malacia being announced as a Manchester United player, Feyenoord were in the market for a replacement left-back.
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Despite previous reports stating that Maatsena was set for a permanent departure this summer after Feyenoord were heavily linked with a move for him, it appears that he will now stay at the club.
He began his career with the Eredivisie side back in 2009 but moved to Sparta Rotterdam just four seasons later.
After spending two seasons there, he moved to Dutch giants PSV in 2015, where he impressed Chelsea scouts.
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Embarking on his first loan spell at Charlton Athletic, Maatsen impressed before moving to the Championship last season to play for Coventry under Robins.
Maatsen made the step up, registering four goal contributions as he made 42 appearances across the season.
Despite the assurances of game time out on loan, Maatsen only made one appearance for Chelsea during his time at the club.
The Dutch defender made his debut against Grimsby Town back in 2019 during a Carabao Cup clash.
It was thought that his time at Stamford Bridge could be coming to an end, but now Dutch media outlet AD have reported that he is set to reject Feyenoord in favour of staying with Chelsea.
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He is said to want to ‘go for his chance’ at Chelsea for the time being.
This does not mean that a departure will be ruled out this summer, but with the 20-year-old rejecting the chance to move to Feyenoord, he will travel for pre-season with the Chelsea squad.
Barcelona are ‘hoping to close’ a deal for Marcos Alonso this summer, with the left wing-back slot opening up for Maatsen.
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However, he will face competition from fellow returning loanee Emerson Palmieri as the Italian is thought to be the one to replace Alonso if he departs.
With interest in Emerson from Lazio this summer, Chelsea could be tempted to keep Maatsen if he impresses in pre-season as he will hope to be successful in earning his place in Tuchel’s squad, much like fellow defender Trevoh Chalobah did last season.
It remains to be seen as to whether he will remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer transfer window, but his attitude towards fighting for a place in pre-season will no doubt excite Blues fans.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Feyenoord, Transfers, Football
Nick Emms