Chelsea should be hesitant about rushing to sell Ian Maatsen this summer as he is ‘potentially world class’.
That’s at least according to journalist Süleyman Öztürk, who has been left impressed by what he’s seen of the defender while on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
Maatsen has bounced back after a difficult first half of the season in which he barely featured for Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino after returning to the club from a successful loan spell at Burnley.
He was sent out on loan again in January, this time to Borussia Dortmund, where he has established himself as the first choice left-back and played a part in them reaching the Champions League final.
The German side are keen to sign him on a permanent basis but are reluctant to match Chelsea’s €40m asking price for the full-back at this moment in time.
Öztürk has urged caution, though, believing that the Blues could be letting a potentially world class player go if they sanction a sale.
“He is a young guy who is just coming to the top,” he said.
“He has of course already had quite a career from League One with Charlton Athletic and the Championship with Coventry City and Burnley. After six months at Chelsea, he is now in the final of the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund.
“If you look at Maatsen, you really see a lot of potential. He is someone who has added a lot of football to Dortmund in just a few months.
“For such a young guy who has just arrived at that level, it is impressive how much flair he plays with. From an attacking point of view, I think that is really potential world class.
“You just need fifty to a hundred matches before you really get into it. Maatsen is still a very young guy. Of course, he also had that enormous flair. When in possession of the ball, Maatsen cannot be made nervous.”
