The Hammers have been given a glimmer of transfer hope in their pursuit Ian Maatsen. The Chelsea left back was a target for West Ham during the recent transfer window.
It was originally believed the Dutchman would remain at Stamford Bridge, with other departing. Marc Cucurella was close to signing for Manchester United, which would have left Maatsen to understudy Ben Chilwell.
However, with the Blues unable to agree a fee with the Manchester club, the deal broke down. This has left Mauricio Pochettino with the thankless task of trying to keep three senior left backs happy.
Hammers given transfer hope in the the pursuit of Ian Maatsen
Unsurprisingly, the balancing act is failing, with some players becoming restless. An update on the situation has been provided this afternoon by Fabrizio Romano. The transfer ITK has been at the forefront of Chelsea news during the past 18 months. The Italian journalist has tweeted that Chelsea are keen to tie Maatsen to a new long term contract.
Chelsea want Ian Maatsen to sign new long term deal — this was also issue on Deadline Day as #CFC agreed on £31m package with Burnley due to contract situation… but Maatsen rejected 🔵
Future now depends on contract; new deal or solution to be found on the market in 2024. pic.twitter.com/PZb1rbuKCe
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 5, 2023
The left back had agreed to move to Championship side Burnley, where he enjoyed a decent loan spell. Unfortunately for the Lancashire club, they ran out of negotiating time. As a result Maatsen remained at Chelsea, and it’s unlikely he’ll wish to move in January.
By that point in time, Vincent Kompany’s men could well be embroiled in a relegation battle. The clubs recently promoted from the Championship appear to be struggling in the Premier League.
This may offer West Ham another opportunity to sign the Chelsea academy graduate. Emerson has started the season in excellent form, but West Ham lack depth at full-back. With the Dutchman’s contract running down at Chelsea, the West Londoners may sell rather than lose the player for nothing.