West Ham United want to complete Ian Maatsen deal this week ahead of Burnley amid Chelsea contract news
West Ham want to replace Aaron Cresswell with Ian Maatsen and want to get a deal completed “this week”, according to Alan Nixon.
The Sun journalist reported via Patreon on Monday (7 August) that the Hammers are looking to beat Burnley to the Chelsea defender’s signature on loan and could “come up with a bigger rental fee” than the Clarets, where he shone on loan last season.
According to Nixon the Dutch left-back could be allowed to go out on loan again this season “if he signs an extended contract” at Stamford Bridge.
If Maatsen, 21, were to arrive at the London Stadium he would be slated to compete with ex-Chelsea teammate Emerson, while Burnley would be expected to make him the starter if they win the “transfer battle”.
Cresswell, 33, is wanted by Nottingham Forest and Wolves and has made a plea to David Sullivan to let him ago amid multiple rejected bids this summer.
Push
If West Ham can convince Chelsea to let Maatsen leave for another year by making it worth their while financially the versatile youngster could be a useful option next season.
He has impressed in multiple positions, including on the right wing, for Mauricio Pochettino during the preseason and might be capable of ticking a number of boxes in an Irons squad that still needs plenty of work in very little time.
But a relatively expensive loan for a single year when he isn’t set to be the definite starter at left-back is perhaps undesirable in comparison to actually signing a long-term option to push Emerson and challenge going forward.
With less than a week before the Premier League season gets under way, and just over three weeks until deadline day, it might be a sign that West Ham have given up on the prospects of signing the likes of Adrien Truffert on a permanent deal in the time remaining, and need an answer with Cresswell on the way out.
The disagreements behind the scenes between David Moyes and Tim Steidten, on top of the club’s maddening propensity to move slowly with transfer negotiations, has backed the club into a corner.
They will be forced to rush through the remaining deals they want to do, if they can get them done at all, and after haggling on prices all summer it will likely now be increasingly necessary to overpay or go without.
Chelsea seem pretty high on Maatsen but he could surely do a job at the London Stadium if they can prize him out of Stamford Bridge for a year, and an answer on that looks close.
In other West Ham news, “money keeps coming in for West Ham” according to a live transfer update on Sky Sports.