David Moyes is looking to bring in defensive reinforcements in January, and Chelsea have set their asking price for a potential Hammers target, Ian Maatsen.
West Ham are in contention to qualify for European football again this season. Fan criticism of Moyes’s style remains, but the results he’s getting cannot be argued with. West Ham’s odds to finish in the top 6 have now shortened to 7/2 with major bookmakers.
The manager has stated that he wants to improve the depth of the squad in defensive areas, and one incoming player that’s been heavily linked is Chelsea Full Back Ian Maatsen.
Noted football journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed Chelsea’s potential asking price for the Dutch 21-year-old. Through his X account, he revealed, ‘Chelsea open to permanently selling Ian Maatsen providing they receive a similar package to the £31.5m deal they accepted from Burnley over the summer.’
While a potential summer move never materialised, Chelsea were willing to let him go. He’s made 15 appearances for The Blues so far but has yet to nail down a place in the starting 11.
Chelsea are focused on downsizing the first-team squad to make room for incomings. They’re already under the microscope for potential FFP issues. Selling Maatsen could ease that tension as his fee would represent pure profit on their balance sheet.
Maatsen is a great candidate to freshen up West Ham’s ageing full-back options. Coufal and Cresswell are already over 30, and Emerson is fast approaching it. Upgrading the full-back position could improve the team’s fluidity, possibly addressing the criticism of the style of play.
The potential fee may seem excessive, but it is not an aberration in the wider context of the transfer market. Maatsen is a highly versatile young player with homegrown status, as he came to England at the age of 16. While he’s naturally a full back, he has played in positions further up the field.
The performances he produced in the season he spent on loan at Burnley in the Championship should excite Hammers fans. Vincent Kompany’s side was one of the country’s most fluid attacking teams, and he was a significant part of the set-up. He would quickly become a fan favourite if he could replicate that form at the London Stadium.
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