Ian Maatsen: Aston Villa agree deal for wantaway Chelsea star ahead of next season

Aston Villa have agreed a deal with Chelsea for left-back Ian Maatsen; Borussia Dortmund were interested but Villa have agreed a fee understood to be more than his £35m release clause.

Aston Villa are reported to have secured the services of 22-year-old Dutch full-back from Chelsea despite interests from Borussia Dortmund, with the clause understood to be more than his £35m release clause.

Maatsen will sign a six-year deal at Villa Park and it is understood that talks over personal terms are now underway, with initial discussions described as positive.

Maatsen had a £35m release clause which expired earlier this week, allowing Chelsea to negotiate the higher price they agreed with Villa.

As earlier said, Borussia Dortmund were keen on signing the left-back on a permanent deal after his successful loan spell at the Bundesliga club last season. They made offers but fell short of the original release clause.

Maatsen had spent the second half of the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund in Germany and helped the Bundesliga giants in their run to the UEFA Champions League final.

Despite being beaten by Real Madrid, Maatsen played the full 90 minutes and impressed against the plethora of stars at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal. Prior to joining the German side, Maatsen had only made 12 substitute appearances and three starts during the first half of the season — two in the Carabao Cup and one in the Premier League.

Maatsen is currently with the Netherlands at Euro 2024 in Germany and discussions over the deal have continued. Chelsea, who eventually finished 6th in the Premier League, qualified for the UEFA Europa League but parted company with manager Mauricio Pochettino.

However, the state of things indicate Unai Emery’s side have the upper hand in terms of agreement with the Netherlands international, as well as their keen interest to bolster their squad ahead of a really busy schedule next season after making qualifications to the Champions League.

The Blues have insisted they do not need to sell players by June 30 to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), but they are certainly in the market to bank some pure profit this summer.