Chelsea full-back Ian Maatsen has admitted he is keeping his “options open” amid interest from Manchester City.
Maatsen returned to Chelsea during the summer following a hugely successful season on loan at Burnley, but has failed to become a regular under new manager Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
The Dutch youth international has managed to rack up just 107 minutes of Premier League action during the 2023/24 season, and is yet to make a start in the league for the Blues.
The full-back had been offered the chance to re-join newly-promoted Burnely on deadline day of the summer transfer window, with Chelsea agreeing a deal worth £31.5m to sell the player. However, Maatsen rejected the chance to team up with Vincent Kompany at Turf Moor again.
Since then, Chelsea have been keen to tie the player down to a new contract in a bid to ensure he does not leave as a free agent once his current deal expires in June 2024. 90min recently reported that the Blues had triggered a clause to extend the 21-year-old’s contract by 12 months to 2025.
Despite triggering the clause, Chelsea still remain keen to tie Maatsen down to a longer term deal. However, if a deal can’t be reached by January, the club will look to sell the full-back.
Speaking to AD about his Chelsea future, Maatsen himself admitted that he is keen to keep his options open.
“I still think it’s possible to play more at Chelsea,” he said. “Accepting [you won’t play] is difficult, as a young boy you always want more. I get confidence from the manager’s words and am ready when the opportunity comes.
“Meanwhile, I have to keep all options open. Maybe I’ll have to make a difficult decision later on, but then Chelsea will also let me know.”
Sources confirmed to 90min that Manchester City are one of the clubs who are currently monitoring Maatsen’s situation at Stamford Bridge. City are keen to sign a natural left-back in January, and a cut-price move for the Dutch youngster is something which appeals to the Premier League champions.
