Aston Villa strike £37.5m deal for Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen | OneFootball

Move could help Blues in pursuit of new striker

Aston Villa have agreed a £37.5million deal for Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen.

Borussia Dortmund have been trying to turn Maatsen’s season-long loan into a permanent transfer, but the Germans have struggled to meet Chelsea’s asking price.

Now Villa are poised to pounce for the 22-year-old, who has been called up to the Dutch squad for Euro 2024 as an injury replacement.

The Blues are continuing to weigh up a move for Villa’s Jhon Duran, after exploratory talks with the Birmingham outfit.

If Villa can complete a deal for Maatsen, then Chelsea may well be able to shave some money off any eventual fee for 20-year-old Colombia striker Duran.

Jhon Duran is a target for Chelsea this summer

Evening Standard

Former Burnley and Coventry loanee Maatsen helped Dortmund reach the Champions League final in an impressive season with the Bundesliga club.

Villa are understood to be confident of convincing Maatsen to join their resurgent set-up, with Unai Emery guiding the club to a hugely impressive fourth place finish in the season just completed.

Villa chiefs believe the chance for another campaign of Champions League football and Emery’s upbeat approach will be key selling points that could sway Maatsen’s thinking.