Chelsea in talks over £50m deal for England wonderkid they had in their academy
Chelsea are looking to wrap up a deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who was once in their academy, with a £50million deal possible before the Club World Cup
Chelsea are in talks to land Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens for £50million - despite previously having him in their academy and allowing him to leave.
Back in January, the Blues expressed an interest in the Englishman and now they want to conclude a deal before both clubs go to the Club World Cup. Gittens has earned England U21 recognition and was on the books with Chelsea as a child.
He is understood to have a release clause in the region of £50m, reports the Telegraph, and has shone with Dortmund since joining the club in 2020 to play with one of their development teams, before rising through the ranks to become a first-team regular.
This year, despite a mid-season managerial change due to a dip in form, Gittens played 48 times and scored on 12 occasions as the club made it into the top four. One of his strikes coming in the Champions League against Real Madrid.
Former Dortmund striker Karl Heinz-Riedle told The Sun earlier this season that Gittens has the potential to emulate the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham. He said: 'Jamie is still not 100 per cent what we expect from a world-class player - but he has all the talent to become one of those. He can become the next Sancho, Erling Haaland or Bellingham.'
The German side have shown themselves willing to sell their top stars for the right fee, often making huge profits as a result. They sold the likes of Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Sancho for huge sums.
The latter moved to Manchester United but has just spent the season on loan with Chelsea, where he's been inconsistent and now faces an uncertain future. Chelsea have a contractual obligation to buy him for between £20m - £25m due to their finish in the Premier League. If they want to back out, they must pay a £5m exit penalty fee.
Chelsea's qualification for the Champions League on the final day of the season will aid their recruitment this summer. They are poised to win the race for Liam Delap, who is set to join from Ipswich Town in a £30m deal to bolster their attack.
The Blues have continued to invest and have a bloated squad, which means they will need to sell numerous players this summer. Despite that, they've begun with their recruitment and have wasted no time in the early days of the summer transfer window.
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