Forget Kerkez! Chelsea can solve big problem by re-signing another academy star
Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is going to leave several clubs very disappointed this summer, but there is a strong alternative that they will be able to study instead.
Kerkez is on the shortlist of several clubs, with Liverpool most recently joining the race for the Hungary international full-back, according to The Telegraph.
Arsenal and Chelsea in FOUR-CLUB battle for €100m wonderkid
Chelsea and Real Madrid are also following the Hungary star, GMS reports, but Manchester United have dropped out of the race after signing Patrick Dorgu.
A fee around the €50 million (£40m) mark is expected to get a deal done for the 21-year-old, but Chelsea have a ready-made solution if they are ultimately left disappointed by the player’s decision.
Latest Chelsea transfer rumours
Compared
Miloš Kerkez
D (L)
B’mouth
Miloš Kerkez
D (L)
B’mouth
VS
Ian Maatsen
D (L)
Aston Villa
Ian Maatsen
D (L)
Aston Villa
|
|
ETV |
|
| €42.5M – €51.9M | ETV Range | €40.7M – €49.7M |
| 21 years old (07 Nov, 2003) | Age | 22 years old (10 Mar, 2002) |
|
Hungary
|
Nationality |
 Netherlands |
Maatson to make Chelsea return?
Chelsea should be pointed in the direction of a familiar face: Aston Villa left-back Ian Maatsen. The former academy player is quietly becoming one of the strongest players in his position in the Premier League.
Maatsen, 22, is not yet a first-choice pick for Unai Emery, where he shares the responsibility with Lucas Digne, but according to data analytics firm SciSports, no Premier League full-back has played as well this season based on the hundreds of in-game data points it analyses.
Maatsen vs Premier League full-backs: Overall 2024/25
He stands clear of Kerkez in eight of the 12 broad sub-categories that it studies, including defensive positioning and transition forcing.
The pair have a similar profile, too. Maatsen is marginally more attack-minded yet this is unlikely to be a problem for the type of clubs who might come shopping for him once Kerkez has made his final decision.
Chelsea have not been shy about bringing academy players they have sold ‘home’ in the past, and with doubts over Marc Cucurella’s long-term future at Stamford Bridge, despite a somewhat improved season, this is another opportunity for the Blues to profit from one of their former young stars.
Maatsen vs Kerkez: Playing style
Why Villa could sell already
Aston Villa, meanwhile, may well be forced to sell Maatsen this summer, with rumours they could face a race to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
He is Champions League proven, and with an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €45.2m, he is regarded as one of their most valuable players.
With Digne still ahead of him in the pecking order, meanwhile, he is not as intrinsically important to the short-term future of the side as others such as Ollie Watkins, Jacob Ramsey or Morgan Rogers.
Aston Villa’s financial position means that they will likely be forced into some difficult questions this summer, and Maatsen promises to be one of those.
Of course, he is a not a player they would ideally part with, but with a looming crisis and Chelsea on the hunt for a left-back, this is a deal that could make some sense.
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