Why Chelsea's sale of Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa is brilliant business on and off the pitch

Chelsea are in a strong position to comply with the Premier League’s sustainability rules after agreeing to a deal with Aston Villa to sell left-back Ian Maatsen. According to The Athletic, the fee is slightly above £35 million that was inserted in the player’s contract before he joined Dortmund last January, with personal terms not an issue and a six-year deal expected to be signed soon.

Maatsen impressed during his loan at Dortmund, making 16 appearances, scoring two goals, and assisting twice. Dortmund showed interest but couldn’t meet Chelsea’s valuation.

The 22-year-old also played in the Champions League final and despite a mistake that led to Real Madrid’s second goal, his manager Edin Terzic defended him for his contribution throughout the campaign.

Terdic said after the Champions League final at Wembley: “I think that Ian was part of a really good team today, especially in that first half we went close to scoring and Ian was one of the reasons because he played a fantastic game.

“And then there was the momentum where the game turned around and you see why they are the champions of this competition.

“Yeah, this is a game full of mistakes and it’s all about the reaction. Ian is a player who always wants to get on the ball, it doesn’t matter how tight the situation is, he wants to get on the ball and he wants to accelerate, he wants to play forward.”

Why this deal is brilliant for both Chelsea and Aston Villa in compliance with PSR:

The sale of Maatsen counts as homegrown and pure profit, adding potentially £37.5 million to Chelsea's accounts for the 2023/2024 season. Additionally, Chelsea expects to benefit from the sale of Lewis Hall to Newcastle and bonuses from Real Madrid due to clauses in Kepa Arrizabalaga and Eden Hazard’s contracts. They aim to generate more than £150 million before June 30 according to reports.

It is also reported that Villa needs to raise some money to comply with sustainability standards and is looking to sell Jhon Duran and Douglas Luiz before June 30. New purchases from both teams will be amortized in the 2024/2025 financial year, putting both clubs in a strong financial position if these deals go through.

Chelsea have been given permission to speak to Duran as they pursue a striker to strengthen their squad ahead of next season. Villa will hope Chelsea meet their valuation.