Chelsea’s pursuit of Jamie Gittens is heating up, but Borussia Dortmund remain firm in their stance, rejecting two bids and valuing the winger at £55 million.
The 20-year-old England Under-21 star, currently representing Dortmund at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, is eager to make the move to Stamford Bridge. Reports indicate personal terms have already been agreed between Gittens and Chelsea, pending a deal between the clubs.
Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl confirmed that internal discussions with Gittens have taken place but insisted the player remains focused on the task at hand.
“Jamie is professional enough to know he needs to perform,” Kehl said after BVB’s goalless draw with Fluminense. “He’s still very important for us in this tournament, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Despite Chelsea’s determination to seal the deal—having already signed Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, and Mamadou Sarr—Dortmund are refusing to be pressured. The Bundesliga side are holding out for a proposal closer to their £55m valuation.
Gittens featured off the bench during Dortmund’s draw with Fluminense, coming on in the 77th minute but was unable to influence the outcome. Head coach Niko Kovac could look to shake up his starting XI for Saturday’s clash against Mamelodi Sundowns in Group F.
While Dortmund are focusing on the tournament, Kehl assured fans that transfer work is ongoing in the background. “I’m staying on top of things. My alarm goes off early to stay aligned with Europe,” he explained.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca recently acknowledged the club’s need for attacking reinforcements following Jadon Sancho’s return to Manchester United. “We only have Noni, Pedro, and Ty as natural wingers,” Maresca said. “So something must happen this window.”
Gittens remains Chelsea’s top target for that role, but the west London club will need to meet Dortmund’s asking price or negotiate a compromise to get the deal over the line.
With Dortmund focused on bouncing back from their slow Club World Cup start, Kehl is confident of a response from his squad: “We need to stretch ourselves more. I’m confident we’ll improve in the next games.”