West Ham could be set to make a move for Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen, but they will face stiff competition if they are to secure his signature.
Following the drama in the Summer surrounding Aaron Cresswell, our own ExWHUEmployee has revealed that the left back is likely to move on after nine years in Claret and Blue. This has left the club in desperate need for cover and competition for Italian international Emerson.
Therefore, the club have been keeping an eye on Ian Maatsen who had been heavily rumoured to be leaving Chelsea ahead of the last deadline day for Burnley, where he was previously on loan. They allegedly had a bid accepted for him but the player decided to try and fight for his place for the Blues. However, since then, he’s only played 83 minutes of Premier League football and has been nothing more than a substitute.
This lack of play time has led the player to be looking for a way out and West Ham could be the club for the Dutchman.
At just 21-years-old he has shown huge potential and was one of the stand out players for Burnley last season as they dominated the Championship. Unfortunately for us, his abilities have not gone under the radar and the Irons will have to compete with the European elite to sign the defender.
According to TEAMtalk, both Manchester City and Barcelona are also considering putting in a bid for Maatsen. Financially, Barcelona are struggling (though they seem to always find a way to sign whoever they like) but Manchester City is not someone we are able to compete with on many fronts. Tim Steidten would have to work his magic to really sell the project to the youngster if we are to fend off the competition.
There is no doubt that Maatsen would be a great addition to the squad and, at such a young age, would help the club towards building a foundation for long term success. We have seen Steidten and Moyes pull off the unthinkable by signing Mohammed Kudus towards the end of the transfer window, they will need to do it again if they want to sign such a highly rated asset.
By Charlie Bass
