Gittens to Chelsea Sealed – Blues Applauded for Avoiding Star-Studded Route

Borussia Dortmund have announced that Jamie Gittens is ‘on the verge’ of joining Chelsea. Enzo Maresca’s side has also been surprisingly praised for signing Liam Delap over a world-renowned centre-forward.

Chelsea had always planned to bring in a new left winger this summer, especially after deciding to send Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United. There’s also uncertainty surrounding Mykhailo Mudryk’s future due to a provisional ban for failing a drugs test, with the results of his B sample still pending.

Initially, Chelsea aimed to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Club, but after he expressed a desire to join Barcelona, they shifted their focus to Gittens. According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea was looking to secure Gittens before the Club World Cup, but negotiations were held up due to Dortmund’s firm stance on the transfer.

Gittens eventually played for Dortmund at the Club World Cup, but now he is set to become Chelsea’s latest acquisition. Dortmund issued a statement revealing: ‘Borussia Dortmund’s offensive player Jamie Gittens (20) is on the verge of a transfer to the English Premier League club Chelsea FC. All parties involved agreed in principle on this today, Thursday, in Fort Lauderdale (USA). The contractual details are still being finalized.’

Dortmund CEO Lars Ricken commented: “Jamie Gittens’ career exemplifies the development of top talents at BVB. We discovered him very early, signed him almost at no cost, continuously developed him in our youth academy, and provided him with playing time at the highest professional level. Jamie has repaid that trust with dedication, performance, and goals. His transfer back to his home country would be highly valuable for us. We wish Jamie all the best for his sporting future.”

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl added: “The negotiations with Chelsea were challenging, but in the end, we are glad that we can most likely realize our expectations and gain planning security. Jamie is an excellent player who has brought us great joy. It was his wish to take the next step in his career at Chelsea, and we wish him all the very best and much success.”

Chelsea initially opened talks with a bid of £42m (€49m / $57m), which Dortmund rejected. However, by June 26, TEAMtalk reported that Chelsea was getting closer to an agreement for the England U21 star, and two days later, the deal was reached. The Europa Conference League winners are set to pay Dortmund £55m (€64m / $75m) for Gittens.

After learning of Chelsea’s interest, Gittens quickly agreed to a seven-year contract with the Blues, eager to return to England and prove himself in the Premier League, having previously been with Reading, Chelsea, and Man City academies.

Chelsea might sign another left winger after Gittens, as they’re in talks with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Lyon’s Malick Fofana.

In relation to transfer rumors, Chelsea had been heavily linked with Victor Osimhen before acquiring Delap and Joao Pedro from Ipswich Town and Brighton, respectively. Osimhen reportedly is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, idolizing Didier Drogba.

However, during an appearance on John Obi Mikel’s podcast, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink raised doubts about Osimhen’s fit for the Premier League. “I know he’s your countryman, but I’m not convinced of Osimhen for the Premier League,” he stated. “For Spain, for Italy – yes. For the Premier League? I’m not 100 percent sure.”

Hasselbaink added, “I really like Jackson. Why? Because he brings a lot of energy to the team, and people don’t see that. The pressing from the front, the work-rate – all that kind of stuff is so important for a successful team. He gets lots of chances but needs to improve his finishing. I’d prefer a striker who creates chances than one who doesn’t. He is getting chances, now we can work on his finishing and calmness.”

He concluded, “Let’s not forget before Villarreal, he was playing nowhere. He started at Villarreal, and now he’s here, still very young and able to improve.”