Ian Maatsen sent 'serious' Chelsea message after PSG win amid subtle transfer hint

Ian Maatsen isn't the first player to leave Chelsea in the recent past and go on to thrive elsewhere, even if it is a small sample size. The way things are going at the club, he won't be the last.

The 22-year-old is now just 90 minutes from playing in a Champions League final having been fourth choice left-back at Stamford Bridge just over four months ago. Pitched up against Kylian Mbappe and his band of expensively assembled Paris Saint-Germain teammates, it is Maatsen and Borussia Dortmund who have the advantage.

They will take a 1-0 aggregate lead into the second-leg of the semi-final next week in France after Niklas Fullkrug scored the only goal of the game at Signal Iduna Park. Alongside on-loan Manchester United attacker Jadon Sancho, it was the Premier League outcasts who got the job done.

Maatsen was faced with the more threatening right side of PSG on the night. He managed to shut down Ousmane Dembele as well as Warren Zaire-Emery from midfield and the attacking full-back Achraf Hakimi.

With an impressive two tackles as well as four clearances, 37 successful passes, and one big chance created, it was yet another top display from the Dutchman. Now, with just three weeks left of the domestic season in Germany, he has a big summer ahead of him.

Chelsea tied him down to a new contract — albeit just a one-year extension — before allowing him to leave on loan in January. There is a release clause of around £35million included, and the Blues are seeking to make money as quickly as possible in order to comply with Premier League financial regulations.

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