Ian Maatsen signed for Dortmund on a loan until end of the season back in January. The Dutchman played just 376 minutes of competitive football across 15 appearances for Chelsea before leaving on loan.
“My plan was to stay at Chelsea. I’d done my loan spells,” the left-back told the Guardian about his decision to reject a loan move to Burnley in August when Chelsea accepted the bid.
“I thought I was ready to compete for the big clubs. But sometimes football works like this. I didn’t get a lot of opportunities. It’s not the end of the world but you have to be ready. You always have to believe because football can go quickly.”
“That was the best solution for me,” Maatsen sayd about moving to Dortmund. “It was a big club where young players can develop. They have had players like Bellingham, Hakimi, Dembélé. I am happy to be here.
"At Chelsea I trained at a high intensity. I kept believing that when my chance came I would take it. You want to play every game. It was just being patient.”
Maatsen has already played more than twice more minutes for Dortmund than for Chelsea (877), and it's been just two months. He has two assists and a goal in 10 Borussia appearances so far.
The Dutchman's contract with Chelsea, which he signed back in January before leaving on loan, includes a £35m release clause.
