Borussia Dortmund explain Gittens absence as Chelsea transfer talks continue
Borussia Dortmund were without Jamie Gittens as they beat Ulsan 1-0 at the Club World Cup as discussions remain ongoing about the 20-year-old potentially joining Chelsea
Jamie Gittens missed Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Ulsan at the Club World Cup on Wednesday, with Chelsea looking to sign the winger. Gittens has already agreed personal terms and reports have suggested that Chelsea are close to finalising a deal with Dortmund.
And Gittens' absence from the Dortmund squad as they defeated Ulsan in Cincinnati fuelled suggestions that the move is all but done. However, Dortmund boss Niko Kovac insisted ahead of the game that Gittens only missed the game through illness.
Explaining his team selection, Kovac said: "Marcel Sabitzer has had a bit of trouble with his knee. He took a knock and has therefore trained a bit less – today he participated in parts of team training again.
"We'll have to see how things are for him tomorrow. The only one who won't be involved is Jamie Gittens. We left him in Fort Lauderdale because he's sick."
Despite Kovac's comments, German newspaper Ruhr Nachrichten have claimed that Gittens was not involved because a move to Chelsea is 'imminent' and the suggestion that he is ill is actually a 'cover story'.
The Blues did attempt to sign Gittens ahead of the Club World Cup, but they failed to meet Dortmund's asking price. However, Dortmund's sporting director Sebastian Kehl did admit earlier this month that they remained "in good dialogue" with the Blues.
"There was contact with Chelsea FC, who got in touch again yesterday afternoon," Kehl said. "We spoke again on the phone and exchanged expectations and different ideas. In the end, we didn't come to an agreement 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. We are happy Jamie will now be part of our team at the Club World Cup and are delighted he is staying.
"I'm not responsible for the late offer - but, of course, I still have to deal with it and that's what we've done. We looked into it very seriously, but in the end we also made a decision for ourselves.
"It's still absolutely OK that Chelsea made this attempt. And, once again, we are in good dialogue. Let's see how things develop in the future."
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