Barcelona are reportedly eyeing up a potential transfer swoop for young Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen after his hugely impressive spell on loan at Coventry City this season.
The 19-year-old looks a terrific prospect who could be one for the future for the Blues, though it seems they may now struggle to keep hold of him.
According to Football Insider, Maatsen’s performances have got him onto Barcelona’s radar, and it will be interesting to see if the Catalan giants can tempt him with a move to the Nou Camp.
Barca are not the force they once were, whereas Chelsea only look like going from strength to strength under Thomas Tuchel after winning the Champions League last season and mounting a serious challenge for the Premier League title this term.
Maatsen may well feel it’s worth waiting for a chance at Chelsea, especially as the west London giants are increasingly open to promoting their young players these days.
It’s quite telling that Barcelona, who were once famed for their incredible academy, are now looking over at Chelsea for the latest in a long line of superb youth prospects that their academy has produced.
CFC already have Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso at left-back, but Maatsen clearly looks good enough to compete for a place in the near future, so the club would do well to resist any advances from Barcelona.
To find out more about the success of Chelsea’s academy, click here to read our interview with club scout and coach Sean Conlon.