The Telegraph claims that Ian Maatsen may depart in January and that Chelsea is accepting bids for the 21-year-old defensive potential. Although the previous Burnley loanee hasn’t yet reached the necessary performance standards, the club may simply approve a loan agreement in order to keep him valued.

Chelsea received numerous offers for some of its periphery players throughout the summer, particularly those from its academy. The Blues experienced some FFP-related issues, which resulted in significant sales for them, including Mason Mount and Kai Havertz.

They also took into consideration offers for Ian Maatsen and Trevoh Chalobah, with Burnley ultimately agreeing to a trade for the latter after he had aided them in the Championship the year before. The 21-year-old defensive prospect wanted to stay and compete for his spot rather than have a repeat of the previous season.

Although Chelsea has only played him sparingly this season, Manchester City and Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing him long-term. Chelsea is aware of this and is unwilling to allow him to go, especially to a direct competitor.

They are preparing to sign a new contract soon, and Maatsen is willing to do so. Although he has expressed interest in staying longer at Stamford Bridge, the club would want to keep his worth differently, thus there are no assurances on his future.

That means they are willing to consider offers for the 21-year-old defensive prospect Maatsen and could approve a loan move for him. They have set a £30 million price tag for Armando Broja, who some teams are interested in signing in January, and they are also thinking about selling other talents.

Chelsea is vying to reduce its roster before to the January transfer window in order to make room for new players. The plan for the upcoming transfer window is to add players who enhance the starting lineup and create chances for individuals that Mauricio Pochettino benched.

Maatsen fits that description, since Chelsea has many of options on that defensive end. Their current left-back alternatives are Marc Cucurella and Ben Chillwell, and Pochettino is not likely to add any more players. Chelsea is therefore in a great position to sell Maatsen should a sizable bid for the academy graduate emerge, or to loan him out.