Arsenal were linked with Jamie Gittens long before Chelsea made a move - could the Blues find their bid hijacked?
While Arsenal’s slow start to the summer transfer window shouldn’t be considered a major concern given how much time is there to do business before the new season starts, it won’t raise the mood of any disheartened fans if they start missing out on key transfer targets – and that’s what seems set to happen in their pursuit of Nico Williams.
On Thursday, it was reported by Fabrizio Romano and several other outlets that the Spanish winger had agreed personal terms on a six-year contract with Barcelona, with the Catalan giants just needing to sort out the final few details of the transfer fee with Athletic Club for the deal to be completed. It’s a real blow for Arsenal, who had the left winger at the very top of their shopping list.
Chelsea had been interested in Williams, too, but seemed to opt out of a move in favour of negotiating with Borussia Dortmund over a deal for 20-year-old English winger Jamie Gittens – a player with whom Arsenal have also been linked. Could they, as Caught Offside claim, be taking “concrete steps” towards hijacking Chelsea’s bid?
Why Arsenal might move for Jamie Gittens
Gittens – known as Bynoe-Gittens before he dropped part of his name for family reasons – isn’t the only player on Arsenal’s shortlist now that hopes of a deal for Williams seem to have been dashed, but he may be one of the easiest to sign.
Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is an option, but financial terms may prove challenging to agree upon, while their reported interest in Anthony Gordon is relatively unlikely to lead anywhere, with Newcastle United expected to rebuff all but the most outrageous offers for the winger.
Gittens, meanwhile, is very much on the market and has been linked with Arsenal since 2023. Dortmund’s asking price of around £55m isn’t cheap, but it’s expected that Chelsea will agree to pay it once Gittens has wrapped up his part of the German side’s Club World Cup campaign.
Chelsea have been the clear frontrunners throughout the process, but with no chance that a deal will be completed until Dortmund’s commitments in the United States are complete, there is plenty of time for another team to come in with a superior offer. And Arsenal, with their generous wages and their apparent proximity to a league title, may well be able to do just that.
As it stands, there are no reports suggesting that the Gunners have made an approach, and it may well be that they have cooled their interest in Gittens as the scouting process wore on – but with Williams seemingly off the market, it remains possible that Arsenal renew their interest. If they don’t do so, Rodrygo would appear to be the most likely frontrunner.
Gittens seems more than ready for Premier League football
While Arsenal may instinctively prefer to target more experienced players given how close they’ve been to winning a first league title in two decades over the past few seasons, Gittens isn’t just a developmental project – he has all the qualities that Arsenal need right now.
Given that he’s just 20 years old and has only really established himself as a regular for Dortmund over the past 18 months, there is plenty for him to learn and his decision-making may require a little sharpening for him to reach the fullness of his potential – but he is already hugely effective and impactful.
Gittens’ explosive turn of pace and lightning fast feet mean that he already has the capacity to burst past opposing defenders at will, and he’s dangerous when he uses that speed and skill to get into the box, scoring 12 goals last season including eight from just 3.6xG in the Bundesliga.
Many of those finishes were hugely impressive – he’s capable of striking the ball with precision and power from tight angles, and any defender that fails to prevent him from cutting inside into the penalty area, even from very wide positions, puts his goal at immediate risk.
If Arsenal want a winger who can split defences apart and add a healthy volume of goals, the Gittens seems like precisely the kind of player they would want – he has a broadly similar style of play to Gabriel Martinelli in terms of the positions he looks to take up in the final third and the way he uses the ball in those areas, but he’s already better at beating players one-on-one while scoring just as many goals and giving away precious little in terms of pace.
If Mikel Arteta and his brand new transfer team, led by Andrea Berta, would prefer a wide forward who looks to pass his way into the box and create chances for others, then Gittens would admittedly be further down the list. Much like Martinelli, he’s usually looking to beat defenders and shoot rather than looking for playmaking opportunities.
Martinelli’s lack of consistency and the fact that Trossard has proven more effective in other positions along the front three has created the need for a new left winger, and in losing out on Williams they will perhaps be forced to settle for second best already – but Gittens is already a high-level player who can turn defences inside out, and has room to grow into so much more. Chelsea shouldn’t be shocked if they find themselves with competition soon.
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