Ian Maatsen, a left-back for Chelsea, is reportedly not interested in joining Burnley during the January transfer window because he wants to stay out of the relegation zone.
Despite several important full-backs being injured, the 21-year-old Dutchman remained in West London this summer to compete for a starting position under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino. However, the young player has not been able to secure his place in the squad.
Maatsen has made seven appearances for the Blues in the 2023–24 Premier League season, all of which have come off the bench. He has only played 106 minutes of football in the league.
The defender has played ten times for the Stamford Bridge team since making his debut in July 2019. Over the course of four years, including loan stints in the Championship and League One, he has experienced success.
TEAMtalk reports that Maatsen, who is drawing interest from several teams, is expected to turn down any potential suitors for his services in the January transfer window.
The left-back is not a big fan of the idea, but Burnley, the Premier League’s newest team, reportedly wants to bring the Dutchman back to Turf Moor in the New Year.
Maatsen is rumored to be unwilling to sign with a Premier League team that is battling for survival—the Clarets are currently 19th in the standings after winning just one of their previous 10 games.
Maatsen, who was on loan from Chelsea, was useful to Vincent Kompany last season. The 21-year-old played in 39 lower-division games as Burnley easily won the Championship.
During the summer transfer window, the Turf Moor team made an attempt to bring the defender back to Lancashire by negotiating a new loan agreement with Chelsea; however, the player chose to remain at Stamford Bridge.
The report also claims that Maatsen is a target for Manchester City, who had preliminary talks with the player’s representatives in July but no further progress was made toward a move to the Etihad.
The Dutchman is reportedly attracting interest from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who hope to strengthen their left-back lineup in the upcoming season.
Due to a shoulder injury, the Reds’ first-choice left-back Andrew Robertson is currently out, giving Greek international Kostas Tsimikas a rare opportunity to play for the team.
Burnley’s plans for a full-back Maatsen’s signing was the main focus of this season, but after the deal collapsed on the last day, Kompany was left to find creative ways to shore up the backline.
In order to counter the attacking strength of Pep Guardiola’s Citizens, the Clarets began the season with a back five. However, more recently, they have used a back four, with veteran defender Charlie Taylor filling in at full back.
