Ian Maatsen set to leave Chelsea for Dortmund ‘this week’ | OneFootball

Highlights

Chelsea star Ian Maatsen is 'keen' to complete a loan move from Stamford Bridge to Borussia Dortmund, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT that the Bundesliga giants are hopeful of rubber-stamping the deal 'this week' after a key development has come to light.

Having splashed the cash during the summer window, with Moises Caicedo becoming the most expensive acquisition in British history thanks to his £115million switch from Brighton & Hove Albion, Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino has another opportunity to freshen up his squad ahead of the February 1 deadline.

Maatsen, who has struggled to secure regular game time despite fellow left-back Marc Cucurella being ruled out until February thanks to undergoing surgery last month, is on the verge of heading through the Chelsea exit door.

Maatsen is preparing to travel to Germany on Tuesday after a verbal agreement was reached between Dortmund and Chelsea over a loan deal, according to transfer expert Romano, and he will undergo a medical within the next 24 hours.

The Italian journalist suggests the Netherlands under-21 international - who has been limited to just one Premier League start this season - confirmed he wants to head to Signal Iduna Park a number of days ago, and Edin Terzic's side have made a breakthrough in negotiations after agreeing to cover his salary.

Burnley agreed a £31.5million loan-to-buy deal with Chelsea during the final hours of the summer window, as they looked to lure Maatsen back to Turf Moor after a fruitful loan spell which saw him play a key role in the Clarets winning the Championship title last term, but he snubbed the opportunity to return to familiar surroundings as he wanted to fight for a place in Pochettino's plans.

But the 21-year-old has found it difficult to win the former Tottenham Hotspur chief over since returning from his season-long spell in Lancashire, with him only being handed 376 minutes of action in all competitions, and Dortmund have identified a chance to pounce.

The Bundesliga heavyweights upped the ante in their pursuit by launching an official proposal on Sunday, allowing negotiations to move into an advanced stage before eventually making a breakthrough as Maatsen prepares to embark on a fresh challenge.

Dortmund closing in on acquiring the full-back will come as a major blow to West Ham United as respected reporter Paul Brown recently told GIVEMESPORT that the east Londoners remained interested after also mulling over whether to launch a bid during the summer.

Fabrizio Romano update - Ian Maatsen

Romano understands that Dortmund are eager to land Maatsen - along with Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho - this week after reaching a verbal agreement with Chelsea over a loan deal until the end of the campaign.

The reliable journalist is aware that the Dutchman is eager to rediscover the form he produced at Burnley by heading to Signal Iduna Park, which resulted in the German outfit heading to the negotiating table to open formal discussions.

Gallagher expected to stay at Stamford Bridge

Conor Gallagher is expected to remain on Chelsea's books beyond the closure of the winter transfer window, according to the Mirror, despite his current employers still being open to offers amid interest from rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The report suggests the central midfielder, who has made 24 appearances this season after becoming one of the first names on the team sheet under Pochettino, is valued at £60million and the Blues are unlikely to budge from their asking price.

Chelsea are prepared to consider bids as Gallagher's exit would allow them to boost their budget, while the west Londoners' decision to stop short of putting a new contract on the table has led to uncertainty over their academy graduate's long-term future.

But the England international is determined to stay at Stamford Bridge and agree fresh terms despite Tottenham chief Ange Postecoglou monitoring developments, meaning the Blues are facing an uphill battle if they want to get him off their books.

, having gained admirers behind the scenes, reputable journalist Brown recently told GIVEMESPORT that sources have confirmed discussions are not taking place at this stage.