Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund are reportedly in discussions over a potential deal for Ian Maatsen.
At the start of the season, the versatile Dutchman turned down offers to leave the Blues in order to try to earn a regular spot in Mauricio Pochettino's team.
Instead, Maatsen has been restricted to three starts and 12 substitute outings in all competitions, accumulating just 201 minutes in the Premier League.
With Pochettino having not used Maatsen in full-back areas when opportunities have materialised of late, and an array of attacking players now available, further chances for the Netherlands Under-21 international may be limited.
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are in no particular rush to cash in on Maatsen, whose contract expires in 2025.
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Nevertheless, the report says that the Premier League outfit have received contact from their Dortmund counterparts over the possibility of negotiating terms over a transfer.
Dortmund are in the market for a new left-back and have seemingly identified Maatsen as an option for that role, attempting to continue their tradition of signing young players with potential.
As it stands, though, finding a compromise over a fee may prove to be difficult with Chelsea said to be eager to generate as much as £30m for Maatsen.
The report claims that Dortmund are not able to meet that figure and would instead prefer to negotiate a loan with an obligation to buy in the summer.
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While that would benefit Chelsea in the long run, it would allegedly impact on their ability to strengthen their own squad in January courtesy of having to remain within FFP criteria.
Furthermore, Chelsea have no more foreign slots available, that realistically only being rectified if they cut short the spells of Gabriel Slonina at Eupen, David Datro Fofana at Union Berlin or Diego Moreira at Lyon.
From Dortmund's perspective, they are also trying to wrap up a loan deal for Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, who left the Westfalenstadion back in 2021.
That temporary transfer is seemingly more likely to go through faster than any deal for Maatsen, with the wide player potentially remaining available to represent Chelsea against Preston North End in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Darren Plant
