The father of Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen has launched a scathing rant at Blues co-owner Todd Boehly. Edward Maatsen accused the American of putting money before the best interests of the club, claiming that his son is now looking at making his loan move to Borussia Dortmund permanent.
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Maatsen joined the youth ranks at Chelsea in 2018, but in the six years since has only made 16 senior appearances for the club amid four separate loan spells. But in January, he signed a contract extension tying him to the Blues until 2026, just days before heading to Germany on a six-month deal.
The Dutch defender has since left Chelsea bosses red-faced, helping Dortmund into the semi-finals of the Champions League. His deal reportedly contains a £35million release clause and on the eve of their first leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain, his father has now implied he may not be returning to London.
"We are working on staying at the club (Dortmund)," he told Dutch outlet Voetbal International. "The clubs have to fight it out among themselves. Ian is developing well here and things are not going well at Chelsea since they changed ownership."
Watch all the Premier League and Champions League drama unfold on TNT Sports.
Maatsen Snr also directly criticised the current ownership model at Stamford Bridge, and cited the example of previous Dortmund players as to why it's currently the best club for his son's development. "A lot at that club also revolves around money, which sometimes seems more important than the club's interests," he added.
"We have more options besides Chelsea and Dortmund, but Dortmund has proven to be a good restart. And look which guys come from there. (Jude) Bellingham and (Erling) Haaland."
In an apparent warning to other young players, he also warned that there was too much pressure on academy players at elite clubs when underperforming: "That's where heads roll when things don't go so well and as a young footballer you are quickly forgotten when things don't go well."
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The defender, 22, joined Chelsea in 2018 from PSV, and has since had stints at Charlton, Coventry and Burnley. He caught the eye with the Clarets in particular, helping them to the Championship title and being named in the league team of the season.
And the left-back seemed set for a regular role under Mauricio Pochettino this season, only to be shipped out again after 12 Premier League appearances, mostly from the bench. He has since relished a bigger role at Dortmund, scoring twice in 18 matches.
