Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in Chelsea youngster Ian Maatsen, as Steve Cooper eyes talent ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Reds will need to add firepower where possible this summer, after leaving it late to confirm their survival in the top tier, it’s expected to be another trialling season for those at the City Ground.
Could Nottingham Forest sign Ian Maatsen?
As reported by the Daily Mail, the Tricky Trees are eyeing up a move for the Chelsea left-back, who is claimed to be valued by the club around £15m.
The report stated that Cooper will face competition from Burnley and West Ham United for the full-back, who impressed in the Championship last term at Turf Moor.
The Mail added that the Midlands outfit are ‘eager’ to bring the Dutchman to the club to ‘solve their problem’ at left-back, following the departure of Renan Lodi.
How good is Ian Maatsen?
Yet to make his Premier League debut for the Blues, Maatsen has become the centre of admiration for a number of clubs in the league, after recurring successes in various loan spells.
The Dutchman spent last season on loan at Burnley, where he proved to be an integral member of Vincent Kompany’s squad in firing the Clarets to promotion and taking the top spot in the Championship.
Across 39 appearances for Burnley, the 21-year-old dynamo excelled at left-back, showcasing his versatility on the flank between defensive and offensive duties, scoring four goals and registering six assists, via Transfermarkt.
Adding a player hungry to achieve in the top-flight, with strengths going forward, could be the key to Cooper unlocking the next door in the way of Forest’s progress in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old could bolster the Welshman’s squad in numerous ways, most notably by adding some flair to the defence to provide a new outlet to steer away from fielding a traditionally monotonous back line.
Many sides in the league have benefitted by fielding inverted full-backs, take Arsenal, who fired themselves up the table in equipping Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White to encourage the threat of the wingers ahead of them.
The same success could be translated at the City Ground through the signing of Maatsen, who with his spark in the final third, could make Morgan Gibbs-White unplayable.
The former Wolves gem was instrumental in his first season in Nottingham, scoring five goals and registering eight assists, orchestrating Cooper’s attack.
Deployed all around the attack, the Englishman found himself floating around the left side of the field, making him a figure that could potentially succeed in the presence of Maatsen, who proved to be a master of progressive play.
As per FBref, the Dutchman averaged an impressive 6.14 progressive passes and 1.10 key passes per 90 in the Championship last season, showing his ability to unlock those ahead of him to influence play in the final third.
Once lauded as “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, the 21-year-old also averaged 2.11 tackles per 90, showcasing his strengths in defence also, which could give Gibbs-White added cover as well as an added outlet going forward.
Averaging 1.91 key passes per 90 in the Premier League last term highlights the threat that Gibbs-White poses in Cooper’s side; a talent that could be further explored by introducing a player of Maatsen's potential and ability to support him and others in the side.
