Chelsea have spent hordes of money on the transfer front since the arrival of Todd Boehly as the club’s new owner last year, but the answer to one position for the long-term could already be etched into the books.
This is left-back Ian Maatsen, who is currently plying his trade on loan with EFL Championship high-fliers Burnley, and the 21-year-old has certainly been staking a claim for a role in Graham Potter’s outfit next season, despite the position already being occupied by two lucrative names.
Ben Chilwell arrived in west London in 2020 after switching from Leicester City for £50m, while Marc Cucurella, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion, was signed in a stunning deal in excess of £60m last summer, and as such, the left-back role should be gleaming and untouched for seasons to come.
But this does not quite feel the case, Cucurella has thus far failed to reach the same dizzy heights he did with the soaring Seagulls last season, while Chilwell’s fitness issues have plagued the efficacy of his progress at Stamford Bridge – partly why the club decided to spend such a heavy slice on his Spanish counterpart in the first place.
And with Chelsea currently ninth in the English top-flight, ten points adrift of the top-four and with just eight victories from 21 attempts, a shrewder, more unconventional route could go down a treat in providing the outfit with a new dimension next year.
As per Sofascore, the Dutch defender has recorded a splendid average league rating of 7.10 this term, starting 23 matches, scoring four goals and supplying five assists, and it is the all-encompassing scope of his play that is so striking.
Granted, the 20-year-old is a full-back with an innate knack for identifying and engulfing attacking transitions, but with an 84% pass success rate, ten big chances created and 1.3 key passes per match to complement an underrated defensive sheen to his game – Maatsen has averaged 1.3 interceptions and two tackles per outing – there is an undeniable full circle to his work that opens the door to a successful Premier League and serves it on a silver platter.
As per FBref, when compared to positional players across Men’s ‘Next 8’ divisions – the eight preceding leagues under the big five – the Claret gem ranks among the top 4% for rate of goals, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 14% for progressive passes.
He could actually end up replacing Cucurella, in a bold move on Potter’s part which could end up both bearing fruit and maintaining an emphasis on the roots of the club, the Cobham Academy.
The 24-year-old has forged a rating of 6.96 this season, a noticeable dip in form from the 7.11 rating that left him in such stellar stead on the south coast, and by instigating a shuffle of the pack Potter could recuperate a sum after such hefty expenditure and indeed offer the platform to a truly dazzling young starlet.
Lauded as a “dangerous” asset and a “tough cookie” by Peter van der Veen, Maatsen encapsulates all that is needed to flourish on the major stage, and if he can ramp up the gas on his development, there is no reason why Chelsea cannot find a place for him next season, wading into prominence amid the abundant opulence.
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