Chelsea wanted to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens in time for this summer’s Club World Cup but now Blues boss Enzo Maresca could have more problems in getting his man
Chelsea could see their move for Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens hijacked by Bayern Munich. Gittens, 20, has already reached a verbal agreement with Chelsea over a seven-year contract but they’re are yet to meet Dortmund’s £50million asking price.
The Blues made two bids earlier this month, the second being worth £42m, but both were flatly rejected by the German giants. Chelsea had hoped to sign the English winger before the start of the Club World Cup, with both sides competing at the tournament.
Now Bayern, who are also competing in the USA, have joined the race, having missed out on No.1 target Florian Wirtz. The Bundesliga champions want to sign a new winger, with Leroy Sane having rejected a new contract before moving to Galatasaray.
French newspaper L’Equipe report that Bayern have already made contract with Dortmund and Gittens’ representatives. The former Manchester City academy prospect moved to Germany in 2020 and enjoyed his most prolific season to date last term.
Gittens’ 12 goals and three assists helped Dortmund recover from a nightmare first half of the campaign, leading to the sacking of Nuri Sahin. However, 20-year-old has been less prominent under new manager Nico Kovac.
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Gittens has only played 13 minutes across Dortmund’s two games at the Club World Cup, with BVB anticipating more offers after the conclusion of the tournament. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl explained when asked about Chelsea’s interest: “In the end, we didn’t come to an agreement on Jamie because we have different ideas about the player’s current value.
“But the talks were very, very respectful. We have been in very good dialogue with Chelsea for many years. And yet we have a different point of view and are happy that Jamie will now be part of our team at the Club World Cup and are delighted that he is staying.
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“I’m not responsible for the late offer, but of course I still have to deal with it and that’s what weve done. Let’s see how things develop in the future.”
Ex-BVB captain Kehl later told Fussball Transfers: “We’ve spoken with Jamie recently. He’s mature enough to know he must perform. That’s just who he is. Jamie will be vital for us in this tournament, and we’ll see what the future holds afterward.”
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