£35m Chelsea star has already informed the club he wants to leave

Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen has already told Chelsea that he wants to leave Stamford Bridge this summer as the full-back wants to play regularly. 

The left-back did not get many minutes for the Blues during the first part of the campaign before joining Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of the season. The 22-year-old has been excellent since moving to the Bundesliga and is keen to stay in Germany permanently.

According to Sky Germany, Maatsen has already told Chelsea that he wants to leave and the London club will happily oblige.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Chelsea and Maatsen are expected to part ways in the summer and that Dortmund are happy to keep him at the club for next season and beyond.

The full-back has a £35m release clause in his current contract with the Premier League club and that fee will help the Blues with their financial issues.

Chelsea made an error by permitting Ian Maatsen to depart.

Chelsea’s decision to let Ian Maatsen go seems premature, given his limited playing time of just 16 appearances totaling 400 minutes. It’s understandable why the defender seeks an exit from Stamford Bridge.

However, Mauricio Pochettino should consider giving the 22-year-old a chance, as he has shown his quality during loan spells at Borussia Dortmund and Burnley.

Compared to Marc Cucurella, and with Ben Chilwell’s underwhelming performances this season, Maatsen could vie for the starting left-back position with confidence if given the opportunity by a trusting manager at Chelsea.

Maatsen’s departure might be a decision Chelsea will rue in the future, but financial fair play regulations for the 2024/25 season likely necessitate such moves for the London club.