We have already seen Chelsea's first two summer signings in action for the Blues. Liam Delap appears to be ahead of Nicolas Jackson in the pecking order already although he needs to improve his overall game if he is to hold onto that position. On the other hand, Joao Pedro made an immensely impressive debut against Palmeiras, and while we do not want to get too ahead of ourselves, he looks like the real deal.
For a long time, Chelsea have been expected to complete the signing of Jamie Gittens as well. That transfer saga has dragged on for months.
Chelsea began negotiating a deal for the Borussia Dortmund winger before the start of the Club World Cup. Now, after multiple weeks and failed bids, the saga is finally over. Gittens is a Blue.
Chelsea have announced the signing of Gittens, with the Englishman joining on a contract until 2032. In his first comments since joining the Blues, he said:
"It feels great. It’s a great feeling to join such a big club as Chelsea.
‘I can’t wait to learn from everyone in the team and to push myself to the max here. It’s an amazing feeling."
Official: Chelsea finally announce new summer signing
Gittens has a lot of great qualities. The standout amongst them is his ability to carry the ball up the pitch and dribble past opponents. Some of his numbers in those parameters are amongst the best in European football.
According to FBRef, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers over the past 365 days, Gittens is in the 99th percentile when it comes to successful take-ons. In terms of progressive carries, he is in the 91st percentile.
Of course, there are areas of his game that need improvement as well. He needs to improve his output if he wants to be a starter for a club like Chelsea. We did see signs of that happening last season.
Also, there will be question marks about his abilities translating to the Premier League. In recent years, we have seen many Bundesliga standouts fail in the English top flight. Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku are names Chelsea fans know very well.