Chelsea set a price tag for in-demand left-back

Chelsea are set to overhaul their huge playing squad this summer with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino now at the helm.

The west London side appointed the Argentinian last week, and he will officially succeed interim boss Frank Lampard at the start of July.

Chelsea will be without European football next term after their 12th placed finish in the Premier League table, leaving Pochettino to focus primarily on their league campaign next season.

The 51-year-old is well respected after building a Tottenham Hotspur side that challenged for league titles and reached the Champions League final in 2019.

At Stamford Bridge, though, he will have to trim the Blues’ squad after owner Todd Boehly’s year of spending big.

Chelsea spent over £500m last season under Boehly, leaving former boss Graham Potter and then Lampard with huge squads to contend with.

The London outfit will therefore look to sell a number of squad players during the upcoming transfer window, and one of their youngsters appears to be attracting attention.

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea will demand in excess of £20m for Dutch left-back Ian Maatsen, who is being chased by Burnley.

Burnley are eager to sign Maatsen on a permanent deal following his impressive performances this term

The full-back spent this season on loan with the Clarets and played a key role in helping Vincent Kompany’s side to clinch the Championship title.

Maatsen, 21, made 42 appearances across all competitions for Burnley this season and the Turf Moor side are keen to keep hold of him beyond this summer.

The report claims, though, that Chelsea’s price tag could rule the Clarets out of a permanent deal for the defender, who has just one year remaining on his current contract with the Blues.

It is also claimed that Maatsen could sign a new long-term contract with his parent club, before returning to Turf Moor on loan for another season.

The defender has attracted significant interest from Premier League outfits following his excellent Championship campaign, but Burnley remain the frontrunners to land him.

Maatsen is unlikely to play for Chelsea next season as Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella remain ahead of him in the pecking order at left-back, and those in charge of the club are therefore considering moving him on.

The defender, who has also previously spent time on loan with Charlton Athletic and Coventry City, made his only senior appearance for Chelsea during a League Cup win over Grimsby Town in 2019.