Borussia Dortmund sign Ian Maatsen on loan from Chelsea
Borussia Dortmund have signed Dutch full-back Ian Maatsen on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.
Find out more about Maatsen here!
The 21-year-old has joined Edin Terzić's squad in time to make his debut at Darmstadt on Saturday.
"Due to our current personnel situation, we decided to make a move at left-back in winter. Ian fits the profile we were looking for with his strengths," said Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl. "He's a player with a lot of pace, has a strong left foot and can also play in various positions. We're very pleased we could complete this loan before our first Bundesliga game of the year."
With Ramy Bensebaini representing his country Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, Nico Schlotterbeck was fielded in the left-back position for a friendly with AZ Alkmaar last weekend, highlighting a gap in that position which Maatsen's signing should plug.
Maatsen switched from the PSV Eindhoven youth academy to Chelsea when he turned 16 in 2018. He has had loan spells with Coventry City and Burnley before becoming a regular part of the Chelsea first-team squad this season.
His playing time in the Premier League has been limited, however, with just 12 appearances for The Blues so far this season, so a switch to Dortmund is expected to be beneficial to all parties, allowing him to gain more playing time in the Bundesliga.
"Dortmund made a great effort over me. I've been following BVB and its fans for a long time, was even at the Champions League game in Manchester in 2022 to see the team live on the pitch," Maatsen said in the club's official statement. "I'm very happy the loan has now happened. I promise I'll give everything for the team's success and am really looking forward to the Yellow Wall."
Maatsen is Borussia's second loan addition of the January window, arriving the day after Jadon Sancho sealed his return to Signal Iduna Park from Manchester United.
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