Charlton Athletic: Chelsea transfer gave Addicks a glimpse into the future - it's not Conor Gallagher | OneFootball

Ian Maatsen enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with Charlton Athletic as an 18-year-old.

Ian Maatsen spent the 2020/21 season on-loan with League One Charlton Athletic as an 18-year-old in what was a breakthrough season for the Dutch international.

Upon relegation from the Championship in the 2019/20 season, Charlton were aiming for an immediate bounce back to the second tier the following season.

In came the likes of Omar Bogle, Alex Gilbey and Paul Smyth alongside the loan of Maatsen from Chelsea.

The Addicks had a successful loan from the Blues the previous season with Conor Gallagher, who impressed at The Valley during his half-season loan in London by scoring six goals from 26 appearances before being recalled by Chelsea and sent back out on loan to league rivals Swansea City for the second half of the campaign.

Charlton were looking to recreate the success of Gallagher's loan spell with the acquisition of Maatsen, who, as an 18-year-old, was sent out on loan to the club in what was the first taste of senior football in his career.

Ian Maatsen took The Valley by storm as a fresh-faced teenager with Charlton Athletic

Maatsen made his Charlton debut as a second-half substitute away at Blackpool, with Ben Purrington having received a red card late in the first half, the Dutchman was brought on at the break to sure up the defence.

Charlton would win the game 1-0, with Chuks Aneke heading home from Alife Doughty's cross late in the game, and Maatsen's career was well and truly underway.

The Dutchman would play the full 90 minutes in each of the next seven games, though, having picked up five yellow cards in a row, he would be suspended for the home game against MK Dons, which Charlton would lose 1-0.

Maatsen would remain an ever-present in the Charlton lineup whenever he was available throughout the rest of the season, finishing his first campaign in senior football with one goal and three assists in 34 league games for the Addicks.

A left-back by trade, Maatsen showed his versatile nature by playing as a left-back, a left-winger and even a centre-midfielder during his time at The Valley.

The attacking prowess which has later defined the Dutchman's style was on show at Charlton, where he often stood out with his willingness to get forward and make overlapping runs deep into the opposition half.

Although Charlton would just narrowly miss out on a play-off place, finishing in seventh, Maatsen had shot onto the radar of numerous clubs in leagues above.

Charlton Athletic saw the potential of Ian Maatsen before anyone else

It would be safe to say that Maatsen has been on an upwards trajectory since his loan with Charlton.

Following his time at The Valley, Maatsen spent the next two seasons in the Championship on loan with Coventry City and then Burnley, making 79 league appearances and grabbing seven goals and seven assists across his time with both clubs and achieving promotion to the Premier League with the Clarets.

The 23-year-old spent the first half of the 2023/24 season with parent club Chelsea, although he would be limited to just 201 minutes of Premier League football with the Blues, unable to displace either Levi Colwill or Ben Chilwell at left-back.

He would subsequently be sent out on loan again, but this time to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, becoming a key player under manager Edin Terzic and playing the full 90 minutes as Dortmund were defeated 2-0 by Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

A move to Aston Villa worth between £35-40 million followed last summer, but he has yet to fully make the left-back spot his own, competing with Lucas Digne for a starting berth.

From The Valley in League One to a Champions League final in less than four years, Maatsen's rise has been remarkable, but it was Charlton who got a glimpse of his potential first.