Jamie Gittens transfer statement confirms end of ‘challenging’ Chelsea talks

Chelsea are ready to continue their summer spending with the signing of Jamie Gittens, having agreed a £55million deal with Borussia Dortmund, who’ve released a statement

Chelsea have reached a full agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign Jamie Gittens, a statement has confirmed. Gittens, 20, is set to join the Blues on a seven-year contract after the two clubs finalised a deal in the USA.

Negotiations were described as ‘challenging’ by Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl and they note that the details of the Englishman’s contract with Chelsea are still to be finalised. Reports claim that the deal is worth £55million after the Blues saw their bid of £42m turned down by the Bundesliga giants last month, despite Gittens having already agreed personal terms.

Both teams are currently competing at the Club World Cup which has reached the quarter-final stage. It’s unconfirmed whether Gittens will be allowed to play for Chelsea while Dortmund are involved in the tournament.

Gittens joined BVB in 2020 after leaving Manchester City, where he crossed paths with Blues manager Enzo Maresca. Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment and talent, Joe Shields, brought the highly-rated winger to City during his time at the club.

Once the transfer is completed, Gittens will be the fifth ex-City academy graduate in Maresca’s squad, following in the footsteps of Cole Palmer, Tosin Adarabioyo, Romeo Lavia and Liam Delap. On Thursday, Dortmund confirmed that the 20-year-old was on the verge of signing for Chelsea, issuing a statement with comments from CEO Lars Ricken and Kehl.

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“Jamie Gittens’ career is exemplary for the development of top talents at BVB,” Ricken said. “We discovered Jamie very early, signed him practically for free, continuously developed him in our youth academy, and also offered him playing time at the highest level with the professional team.

“Jamie has repaid the trust placed in him with commitment, performance, and goals. His transfer back to his native England would be extremely valuable to us. We wish Jamie only the very best for his sporting future.”

Kehl added: “The talks with Chelsea were challenging, but ultimately we are pleased that we can most likely realise our financial ambitions and then have planning security.

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“Jamie is an outstanding player who has given us a great deal of pleasure. He now wants to take the next step in his career at Chelsea, and we wish him all the best and much success.”

Gittens is due to become Chelsea’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window. The Blues have already brought in Delap, Joao Pedro, Estevao, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr, as they continue their Club World Cup campaign.

The Blues face Palmeiras at 2am on Saturday. Should they win, Chelsea will go on to play either Fluminense or Al-Hilal in a semi-final.

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