Chelsea and Aston Villa love to collaborate, and we mean that in the actual, literal sense of the word. We don’t mean “collab” in the way that spammers use it when they direct message you on Instagram. We mean conducting business, and that’s exactly what is going on, with Ian Maatsen set to join Aston Villa after having spent the second half of this season on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
In a separate deal, Omari Kellyman is going the other way.
?? Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa, here we go confirmed! Medical completed in Dutch national teal camp and all details of contract agreed.
Maatsen will sign a six-year deal at Villa, until June 2030.
Chelsea will receive £37.5m fee.
?? Omari Kellyman joins #CFC in separate deal. pic.twitter.com/uWe74PidcR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 23, 2024
It is also very possible that Jhon Duran could be making the same move that Kellyman is. Here is a link to more on that.
Maatsen, a 22-year-old Dutch left back, has his medical booked, so once he passes that, and signs the paperwork, this will be officially confirmed and announced.
The two clubs have previously transacted in recent years as well, via Carney Chukwuemeka. Another commonality between the two clubs is their summer preseason tours.
Not only are both clubs coming to the United States this summer, but their tours will even include the same region of the USA.
Chelsea will take on Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend on Sat. July 27th while Aston Villa will battle Club America at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday August 3rd.
It is great to see both of these clubs get more transfer business done ahead of the summer preseason tours, as that’s the way it should be.
Thus far, this window has been pretty moribund for the most part, with most teams. It’s great to see Chelsea and Villa being the exception.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.