Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen could be a target for West Ham in January, according to reports. 

Ever since they got a taste of European football, West Ham have been desperate to take that leap to the next level and consistently fight for those places. So far, they’ve been successful with three successive seasons in Europe.

However, the top half of the table is extremely strong this year and the club understands that they need to bolster the squad if they are to extend that run.

According to The Metro, the Hammers could reignite interest in Ian Maatsen to help them push in the right direction. The Dutchman was key to Burnley’s impressive season in which they won the Championship with ease. While he was on the verge of signing for Vincent Kompany’s side permanently in the Summer, this ultimately fell through as Maatsen wanted to fight for his place at Stamford Bridge.

Unfortunately for the left-back, he’s only made 9 appearances this season, with most of them coming as a substitute but as of late he is struggling to get any minutes at all.

Burnley reportedly agreed to pay a fee of £31.5million but West Ham will be hoping to pay considerably less than that due to being wary of financial fair play rules.

As ExWHUEmployee reported, the priority is a striker and the majority of funds will have to come through player sales, then after that the club will search for a left-back. A loan with an option to buy may be what the East London side are aiming for but, considering Chelsea’s own FFP issues, that seems unlikely.

At just 21-years old, there is no doubt that Maatsen could be a brilliant signing for David Moyes. Despite being in the Championship, it was clear to see from his time at Burnley that he could be a top player and a club like West Ham would be able to offer him the opportunities that he needs in order to reach his potential. Although it will not be easy to find a deal that suits both clubs, he would be a a great addition to the squad.

By Charlie Bass

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