There are fewer things in football harder than replacing a club legend when the time comes for them to leave. Not only do you have to replace them as a footballer, but also as a figure around the club and in the dressing room. For Chelsea Football Club, it certainly feels like they are still in the process of replacing some of their legendary figures from years gone by.
Many people believed Mason Mount would go on to be the eventual replacement for Frank Lampard, who scored 211 goals in 648 appearances for the club. However, Mount ended up leaving Stamford Bridge last summer to join Manchester United.
Aside from Lampard, it certainly feels like Chelsea have still yet to properly replace legends like Didier Drogba and Eden Hazard, despite the billions of pounds spent by Todd Boehly since he became the club’s owner.
However, perhaps the toughest player to replace has been legendary left-back Ashley Cole. In an era when traditional overlapping full-backs are dying out, finding an heir for a player like Cole, who is now a Premier League hall-of-fame member, is not easy.
However, Chelsea might well have the perfect replacement for their former left-back currently out on loan, with the player set to return this summer and stake a claim for a starting spot next season.
Ian Maatsen is staking his claim
The player in question here is Dutchman Ian Maatsen, who is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund from Chelsea. The 22-year-old found it hard to break into the Chelsea side this season, perhaps somewhat surprising considering injuries to the likes of Ben Chilwell at left-back.
However, he got a loan move to Borussia Dortmund in January, where he has played a starring role, even scoring in the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid to help the German side reach the last four. He already has two goals and two assists for Dortmund in just 17 games.
It marks another successful temporary stint away from the Bridge for the young defender. Last season, Maatsen helped Vincent Kompany’s Burnley get promoted from the Championship, scoring four goals and assisting six along the way. He nearly rejoined the Clarets last summer on a permanent deal but ended up staying at Stamford Bridge after rejecting the move.
The Netherlands U21 international is a superb modern full-back, using his electric pace to fly up and down the wing. Maatsen is a superb ball carrier. As per Fbref, his 2.78 carries per 90 place him in the 80th percentile, with his 0.60 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes rank him in the top 15% amongst full-backs in Europe.
He is a very progressive player, too, averaging 5.99 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and 4.63 passes into the final third per 90 minutes. That places him in the top 7% and top 10% respectively.
Not only is he impressive going forward, but Maatsen is impressive off the ball too. Specifically, the 22-year-old averages 5.93 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the 81st percentile, and 1.25 interceptions per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 17%. Maatsen certainly epitomises what it means to be a modern-day full-back.
His future remains unclear at the minute; he might well depart Stamford Bridge permanently, but it certainly makes sense for Chelsea to keep the 22-year-old. He could well be their left-back for the next decade if he keeps up the form he has shown in Germany.
If he does decide to take his leave, then the Blues have another left-back waiting to make an impact.
Chelsea's next best academy prospect
It is not just Maatsen who could be Chelsea’s eventual replacement for legend Cole. They also have 17-year-old Ishe Samuels-Smith as a potential option in the future.
The left-back joined from Everton for a rumoured £4m last summer, a club where Cole was previously a coach, providing Samuels-Smith with the perfect education before his Chelsea move.
Samuels-Smith, who can also play at centre-back, is a wonderful defender, who uses his long legs to hook the ball away from an opponent and regain possession. He has good defensive awareness and is a superb long-passer, who enjoys playing long balls over the top for teammates to run onto in behind an opposition defence.
The teenager has yet to make an appearance at the first-team level, for either Everton or Chelsea. However, he has played 12 games in the Premier League 2 for the Blues this season, registering one assist.
With Maatsen and Samuels-Smith potentially breaking through, Chelsea might finally be able to find their long-term replacement for Cole and have two exciting left-backs in their squad for the next ten years or more.
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