Ian Maatsen has excelled since joining Borussia Dortmund from Chelsea in January. A loan with the absence of Ramy Bensebaini taken into account and an injury to Julian Ryerson, the Dutchman has made the left-back spot his own since his arrival at the Signal Iduna Park.
And speaking exclusively to Ruhr Nachrichten, Maatsen has settled in seamlessly in Germany.
“I feel the trust of the coach and my teammates – and also of our fans,” said Maatsen. “That has boosted my self-confidence a little more.”
In an interview with the regional outlet, the 22-year-old discussed the differences between the Premier League and Bundesliga: “It’s not easy to win games here. I think the Bundesliga offers you good opportunities to show your talent and quality to develop you further.
“The pace is perhaps a little faster here, you have more games and therefore less time to regenerate. But even in the Bundesliga you always have to push yourself to the limit.”
It’s known that Borussia Dortmund would like to sign Maatsen on a permanent basis, but that may not be possible. The Dutchman has a reported release clause of €35m, a figure too high for BVB. But with Maatsen wanting to remain at the Westfalenstadion, it’s quite possible that another loan would be feasible for the 2024/25 season.
Since signing in January, Maatsen has made 11 Bundesliga appearances, scoring once and assisting on two occasions.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
