Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen is currently on loan at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.
According to a report from the Mirror, the German club want to sign him permanently at the end of the season but they could be priced out of a move.
The 22-year-old left-back is valued at £35 million because of a release clause in his contract and the Germans might not be able to afford him.
When the defender joined them in January, Chelsea were prepared to sell him for a fee close to £30 million, but they have now decided to hold out for his release clause after his impressive performances in Germany.
Therefore, Borussia Dortmund will have to pay a club-record fee for the defender this summer. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops.
Maatsen is highly rated across Europe and Dortmund are unlikely to be the only club keen on him. It will be interesting to see where the talented young defender ends up. The 22-year-old needs to play regularly at this stage of his career and a return to Chelsea might not be ideal for him. The Blues will not be able to provide him with regular game time.
Ian Maatsen could be a future star
Chelsea already have players like Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella at their disposal. The decision to cash in on the 22 year-old defender would be ideal, especially if they do not plan to start him regularly.
Meanwhile, the asking price for Maatsen might come across as a premium for Dortmund, but he’s a talented young player with huge potential. He is only 22 and he is likely to improve with coaching and experience. Chelsea will want to recoup as much as possible for a prodigious young talent like him. Any club hoping to sign him will have to pay the asking price.