The Chelsea winter transfer window is really starting to heat up, as there’s talk Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen and Alex Matos could all be on the move.
It’s all part of Stamford Bridge’s need to raise money for a.) dealing with Financial Fair Play concerns b.) help fund the next massive spending spree.
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Let’s start with Ian Maatsen, who is sought after by Borussia Dortmund, with talks in the opening stages right now.
We won’t see negotiations enter an advanced stage unless Dortmund are willing to go £30m for Maatsen. That is the price Chelsea have set on their 21-year-old academy product and left back.
As The Guardian points out “Burnley tried to sign him at the end of the previous window, only for the versatile defender to reject the move.”
The article also mentions that Maatsen was on the radar of West Ham last summer.
Elsewhere, forward Alex Matos is set to join Championship side Huddersfield Town or the rest of the season on loan. According to The Telegraph, the loan deal is not yet completely finalized as of yet, but should be reach official status soon.
It is possible that Matos, 19, could find himself featuring for the Terriers when they take on Manchester City in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
Even if he doesn’t play in the weekend clash, a move to Huddersfield would be good for Matos, as he’ll get much more experience there, than he would at Chelsea, during this back half of the 2023-24 season.
Since being signed from Norwich City this July, he has barely played at Chelsea.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.