Borussia Dortmund chief, Sebastian Kehl has admitted they signed Ian Maatsen from Chelsea because they needed him.

Maatsen officially sealed a six-month loan move with the Bundesliga giants on Thursday, although the news was confirmed by Chelsea on Friday.

The 21-year-old struggled to play regularly under Mauricio Pochettino, and needed to carry on with his development.

Explaining the decision to sign the Chelsea full-back, Kehl told the official Dortmund website: “We are challenged at left-back, and therefore we are very happy that we were able to get the deal done before the first game of the year.

“Maatsen is a player who has a lot of speed, a strong left foot, and he can be used in different positions, so we are very happy.”

Dortmund will take on Darmstadt this weekend, and Maatsen could make his that early.