Chelsea set to beat Arsenal to transfer as club chief says deal could happen

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Chelsea are in the market for a new winger and have approached Borussia Dortmund to try and thrash out a deal for the impressive Jamie Gittens before the Club World Cup
Chelsea have opened talks with Borussia Dortmund over a deal which would see their sought-after winger, Jamie Gittens, return to the club he had a brief spell with in his academy days.
Gittens, 20, was the subject of interest from the Blues back in January and also has other Premier League suitors. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Gittens, with all three clubs in the market for more firepower this summer.
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It's Chelsea, though, who have formalised their interest by approaching Dortmund for talks with a view to striking a deal before the upcoming Club World Cup.
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As per The Telegraph, Gittens is expected to attract offers in the region of £50million this summer amid interest in his services.
The winger has a release clause for a similar amount in his contract which, if triggered, would mean the England Under-21 star is free to negotiate a switch to Chelsea, who briefly had Gittens in their academy previously.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle have also been linked with Gittens in recent weeks following a stellar season for the wideman in Germany.
And in a boost for the winger's suitors, Sebastian Kehl, the Borussia Dortmund sporting director, has already hinted that the club are willing to cash in on Gittens if serious offers materialise over the summer.
Speaking to Sport1 last month, he said of Gittens: 'There's definitely a market for him. He's a very exciting player. We'll be having discussions soon. If offers come in, we'll have to deal with them.'
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Chelsea are keen on adding a winger to Enzo Maresca's squad as they prepare to return to the Champions League fold next season. They also hold an interest in Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho, who is free to leave Old Trafford this summer and was linked heavily with the Blues in January.
It remains to be what Chelsea's interest in a deal for Gittens means for Jadon Sancho, who spent the 2024-25 season on loan with the Londoners.
The Blues have an option to make that deal permanent for £25m, however, they can also renege on it if they are willing to pay Manchester United a £5m penalty fee.