Chelsea were in urgent need of signing a right-footed left winger before the Club World Cup. They had identified Jamie Gittens as the ideal candidate for the role, as he appeared to tick all the boxes they were looking for. However, the Blues' first offer of €35 million was swiftly rejected by Borussia Dortmund. Although personal terms have been agreed with the player on a seven-year deal, club-to-club negotiations proved difficult to crack.
Chelsea, unwilling to waste any time, continued their efforts to bring the player to Stamford Bridge as soon as possible. Reports suggested that earlier today, the Blues submitted back-to-back offers of €50 million and €55 million in an attempt to secure the signature of Gittens.
However, it appears that even those sums are not enough to land the winger. And the transfer has now collapsed ahead of the Club World Cup.
As reported by Florian Plettenberg, Gittens to Chelsea before the Club World Cup has collapsed. Borussia Dortmund immediately rejected the third offer for the winger, worth €55 million. They want more.
Chelsea’s improved offers for Gittens rejected
However, this does not mean the end of the saga. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the negotiations will continue beyond the Club World Cup window. Chelsea want Gittens and the player wants the move, as he agreed on a contract until June 2032.
With their second and third bids now rejected, Chelsea will need to consider whether they are willing to meet Borussia Dortmund’s high valuation. The Blues have also been linked with Alejandro Garnacho, a transfer that would reportedly cost less and the Argentine is Premier League-proven.
While Gittens is undoubtedly a promising talent, Borussia Dortmund’s demands may prove to be too steep. Chelsea will need to make sure that they do not overpay based on potential. This new ownership has made that mistake far too many times already.