Borussia Dortmund have held talks with Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen over a January move.
The 21-year-old is losing the battle to convince Chelsea of his long-term worth, having started just one Premier League match this season despite the club’s ongoing injury crisis.
Chelsea are open to selling Maatsen, who has struggled for minutes under Mauricio Pochettino and has entered the final 18 months of his contract.
The Blues are holding out for around £30million after accepting a similar bid from Burnley on deadline day in September.
But Dortmund cannot reach that asking price and would rather sign Maatsen on an initial loan to spread the cost of any deal.
Chelsea would prefer an outright sale as they need to cash in on players before they can sign their January targets, amid pressure to stay within Premier League profit and sustainability rules.
They are open to reinvesting any funds earned through player sales into a new striker, with both Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney among those being targeted.
Any deal for either player would be expensive and complicated, but if they become available their arrival could speed up Maatsen's exit and potentially see Chelsea reduce their asking price.
Maatsen would be factored into FIFA’s loan limits as he turns 22 later this season, plus his versatility from the bench during an ongoing injury crisis means Chelsea are not rushing to force him out.
The left-back, however, remains the club's most sellable asset to fund business, with Trevoh Chalobah still injured and Conor Gallagher reluctant to leave as a regular starter and stand-in captain.
Maatsen joined the Chelsea academy from Dutch giants PSV in 2018.
