Giovanni van Bronckhorst reveals Ian Maatsen missed transfer at Rangers in 2022
Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that he failed in a bid to bring Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen to Rangers during his year-long spell at Ibrox.
Having come off the back of an impressive loan spell at Coventry City during the 2021/22 campaign, the young defender would move to Burnley next, but it seems as though an Ibrox transfer was on the cards.
The 22-year-old is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund, having struggled to cement his place in the Chelsea starting XI, and is set to play in the Champions League final this season.
Speaking to RTL7, transcribed by Daily Record on Tuesday (7 May), van Bronckhorst admitted: “He was still on my list for Rangers. I was very charmed by him to bring him to Rangers.
“That didn’t work out in the end, but he is a player with a lot of drive, who always looks forward and is also becoming stronger defensively. He scores goals and that is certainly very nice to watch.”
Rangers miss out on Ian Maatsen transfer
The missed transfer looks even worse after the young full-back starred as Burnley secured promotion to the Premier League last season, winning 101 points as title winners.
Maatsen notched four goals and six assists from left-back in 42 matches in all competitions for the Clarets, a player who could have thrived at Ibrox under van Bronckhorst.
Instead, the Gers brought Ridvan Yilmaz into the club during the summer of 2022. The Turkish international has experienced a rollercoaster of a career at Ibrox, recently becoming a fan favourite.
However, the 22-year-old has been plagued by injury since the turn of the year, which has seen Borna Barisic utilised a lot more by Philippe Clement.
While it is unlikely that the signing of Maatsen would have completely changed Rangers’ 2022/23 campaign, missing out on the Scottish Premiership title by seven points, he would have been an exciting player.
Van Bronckhorst only lasted until November, though, leaving just a few months into the season after taking charge of 68 games over a one-year period.
In other Rangers news, a doctor has provided an injury update on midfielder Ryan Jack.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.