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Kehl is in talks with Chelsea | Getty Images
Chelsea are said to have resumed talks over one of their priority targets this summer.
Chelsea are said to have held new talks over one of their priority signings this summer. The Blues are on a mission to improve as they look to build on a season of progress that saw them secure a top four finish, Champions League football and a Conference League title.
Enzo Maresca’s men are looking to add a FIFA Club World Cup to that haul, now in the Round of 16 and facing Benfica on Saturday in North Carolina. In the meantime, the Chelsea chiefs are still working on new signings ahead of the new season, and we are expecting a number of new signings this summer.
The Blues have already signed Liam Delap, and we are likely to see another striker signing, along with a winger and a centre-back signings, while other areas could also be added to.
As far as the winger signing goes, Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens appears to be the priority target, with the 20-year-old fitting into Chelsea’s ideal of being a player who has space to grow in value and ability. But the Blues failed in their early rounds of talks with Dortmund ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, and while talks have now continued, Chelsea are not having better luck with their efforts.
German insider Florian Plettenberg has said: “New and positive negotiations have taken place in the last few hours between Borussia Dortmund — led by boss Sebastian Kehl — and Chelsea regarding Jamie #Gittens. However, there is still no agreement or final decision. #BVB continue to demand €65 million. The feeling at Dortmund is that there are new several interested clubs — not just Chelsea. So far, there have still been no direct talks with FC Bayern.”
The good news for Chelsea is that Dortmund chief Kehl has recently denied talks with Bayern Munich despite reports claiming otherwise. Kehl said: "I'm not currently in contact with Max Eberl, but otherwise we have a very good relationship. Nevertheless, there's nothing to say on the subject at the moment.”
Kehl has also said recently of talks over Gittens in general: “We’ve had one or two conversations with Jamie in the last few days. He’s professional enough to know he has to perform. That’s also in his nature. Jamie will still be very important for us in this tournament. We’ll see what happens after that. But I don’t have a negative opinion of him.”
Gittens has continued to represent Dortmund during the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States this summer, and he will continue to do so regardless of whether a deal is struck. The winger would not be eligible to actually join Chelsea until the summer window reopens.
Chelsea are now going to have to decide whether they are willing to pay the £55.4million being asked for by Dortmund. The Blues have a number of areas to improve this summer, so they are going to have to spend smartly. But Dortmund know they have a gem in Gittens, and they are not going to be short changed.
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