Chelsea’s search for a new winger has been one of the key themes of the early summer transfer window. With Jadon Sancho heading back to Manchester United and Mykhailo Mudryk still banned indefinitely, the Blues are looking increasingly thin out wide. As things stand, only Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke are recognised first-team wingers.
The club have been linked with several wide options – including Morgan Rogers and long-term target Alejandro Garnacho – but the strongest momentum appears to be behind a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens. The 20-year-old Englishman has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the Bundesliga, and Chelsea look to be making a serious push for his signature.
Sliding into the Structure
Gittens fits the now-familiar profile of a Chelsea signing under the current project: young, highly talented but far from the finished article. Before this season, few Chelsea fans would have known his name – but the same could be said for Noni Madueke before his arrival, and he’s grown into one of the club’s most reliable wide options.
In line with other recent additions, Gittens also came through the Manchester City youth ranks – just like Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, and Tosin Adarabioyo. Whether this points to a deliberate recruitment strategy or a happy coincidence, the familiarity in tactical schooling and style of play should aid his adaptation at Cobham.
Out-and-Out Winger
What Chelsea currently lack in real depth is a proper winger – not another number 10 or centre-forward who can “do a job” out wide. The failed experiment of Christopher Nkunku in that role proved as much, and with the Frenchman now likely to move on, the Blues cannot afford to get this one wrong.
While Nicolas Jackson has occasionally filled in on the flanks, the addition of a natural wide player like Gittens would send a clear message with serious intent to their Top 4 rivals. Gittens recorded eight goals and three assists in last season’s Bundesliga campaign, helping Dortmund secure a Champions League spot.
He’s quick, fearless, and loves to take on defenders one-on-one – the kind of winger who could get Stamford Bridge buzzing. His instinct to whip balls into the box early will give strikers like Jackson and Delap the service they’ve often lacked. Unlike Neto and Madueke, who can sometimes lack a real end product, Gittens brings directness and intent.
A Big Investment
The reported fee for Gittens is expected to be north of £60 million, a hefty fee for a player who has only just enjoyed his breakthrough campaign. But with a seven-year deal reportedly on the table, Chelsea are once again backing potential over proven output.
Will Gittens follow in the footsteps of Cole Palmer, or will he go the way of Mudryk and be an expensive mistake? Either way, if the deal goes through, it’ll be one of the most intriguing moves of Chelsea’s summer.