Chelsea fans have made no secret in their desire for Ben Chilwell to join the club when the transfer ban is lifted; but does the presence of Ian Maatsen mean it would just be a waste of money?
The 17-year-old is a left-back by trade but due to his versatility, has also been used at center-back and central midfield.
Maatsen began his career at the Feyenoord youth set-up, before being declared too small in 2013. He then spent two years at Sparta Rotterdam before moving to Dutch giants PSV in 2015. Following three successful years in the Eindhoven youth team, Chelsea swooped in and took him to the Bridge in the summer of 2018.
Much of his career success so far has come on the international stage for the Netherlands U-17 side, who have won consecutive European Championships. Maatsen played a key role in this summer’s tournament and scored a goal in the final to earn the Dutch a 4-2 win over Italy.
There is no doubting that the youngster is lacking the first-team experience that a player like Ben Chilwell has, but Lampard clearly sees something in him. He has been given an opportunity to impress in the Checkatrade Trophy with the development side, as well as earning a first senior appearance in the 7-1 win over Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.
Chilwell would certainly be a more reliable short term solution than Maatsen. However, A hefty fee would be commanded by The Foxes and whilst Leicester are thriving in the league, questions remain as to whether he would want to make the move to London.
Whilst the youth players are thriving under a young manager, why not give a youngster who is so highly rated by the Netherlands the chance to impress, and potentially save a large investment.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
