Aston Villa have secured the services of left-back Ian Maatsen from Chelsea.
The 22-year-old Dutchman has committed to a six-year contract with Villa, who paid a transfer fee of £37.5 million.
Maatsen is Villa’s second acquisition this summer, following the signing of winger Lewis Dobbin from Everton.
His £35 million release clause had expired earlier in June, giving Chelsea the leverage to negotiate a higher fee with Villa.
Despite interest from Borussia Dortmund, who had hoped to sign Maatsen permanently after his impressive loan spell with them last season, their offers fell short of the original release clause.
During his time at Dortmund, Maatsen made 16 Bundesliga appearances, scoring twice, and played seven matches in the Champions League, netting one goal.
The Dutch defender’s release clause expiry opened the door for Aston Villa to make their move.
A source highlighted the importance of Villa’s Champions League participation, stating, “It’s crucial that Villa are in the Champions League. The player himself wants to carry on playing in the Champions League. It’s a very good deal for Unai Emery’s side. He played so well for Dortmund, helping them reach the Champions League final.”
Maatsen, born on March 10, 2002, in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, began his youth career at Feyenoord, then moved to Sparta Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven before joining Chelsea.
He developed through Chelsea’s Under-18s and Under-21s, followed by loans to Charlton Athletic and Coventry City.
His standout performance came at Burnley, where under Vincent Kompany’s management, he played a pivotal role in their 2022/23 Championship-winning campaign with 39 league matches, four goals, and six assists.
Last season, Maatsen returned to Chelsea and shone in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States before being loaned to Dortmund in January.
He played a significant role in their journey to the Champions League final, where they were defeated 2-0 by Real Madrid, making 16 Bundesliga and seven Champions League appearances.
