Chelsea’s last-minute bid to sign Jamie Bynoe-Gittens on the evening of the FIFA Club World Cup ended up unsuccessful. The Blues had two serious offers turned down, despite having pushed the negotiations to Tuesday evening’s deadline. Borussia Dortmund, however, turned them all down, waiting to find out whether they would receive their €70 million valuation for the English winger.
The London club’s first bid to Dortmund was a guaranteed €35 million, which they rejected outright. The Blues then made a bid of €50 million with no add-ons. It was a last-ditch effort to close the deal before squad registration for the tournament expired. The negotiations were serious, with the club representatives having an eleventh-hour direct conference sit-down meeting.
The Blues threw in some additional bonuses, but Dortmund still wouldn’t give in. In-house at Stamford Bridge, the German side’s resistance is seen as a “Club World Cup tax”. However, Chelsea will not be swerved by the U-turn and will return to the negotiating table once the tournament has been sanctioned.
Meanwhile, Jamie Gittens’ mind is made up. He and the Blues have come to a personal agreement for a contract through June 2032. He has notified the board members at Dortmund that he wants to leave and is awaiting a call from the Blues.
Talking with media officials in an interview, Dortmund sports director Sebastian Kehl discussed the negotiations:
“In the end, we didn’t come to an agreement on Jamie because we have different ideas about the player’s current value… the talks were very, very respectful… let’s see how things develop in the future.”
What Next for Jamie Gittens?
The Club World Cup is in full swing, and Jamie Gittens has been included in Borussia Dortmund’s traveling squad. They are not intent on selling just yet, and have already made youth player signings like Jobe Bellingham.
Chelsea, however, will attempt to revive the negotiations once the window opens again on June 16. Enzo Maresca has Gittens listed as one of his priority targets for next season as well, and the Blues are willing to get the transaction across the line.