Maresca has got his manplaceholder image
Maresca has got his man | AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea are said to have wrapped up a deal for one of their primary targets.
Chelsea are still working on their second deal of the summer after snapping up Liam Delap in the special early window, and it looks as though they are getting close to pulling it off. The Blues will continue their journey in the FIFA Club World Cup after beating Benfica following a period of extra-time on Saturday night.
The Blues led 1-0 and were playing well until they conceded a last-gasp penalty that forced extra-time. Enzo Maresca’s men went on to win comfortably with a 4-1 scoreline to progress to the quarter-finals. facing Palmeiras on Saturday.
Speaking after the game, Chelsea boss Maresca said: “I am very happy because we are in the last eight teams of this fantastic competition. As I say, for 85 minutes, we didn’t concede anything and had enough chances to win the game. The team was very good. It was one of our best performances in the last two weeks or the last month.
“The game was very good for 85 minutes but then we have a two-hour break and it’s not the same game because you break the tempo. Two hours inside. We tried to go out and continue to play in the same way, but it’s difficult. It’s not random that for 85 minutes, we didn’t concede anything, and then in five minutes [after the restart] we conceded chances. You see they score because they need to chase. We were inside and winning, we go back outside and the mentality is different. It was really difficult.”
As preparations begin for next Saturday, it looks as though Chelsea are closing in on a deal to finally land key winger target Jamie Gittens. The Blues have been in talks over the 20-year-old for weeks, but they have struggled to agree a deal with Dortmund holding out for their £55million asking price.
But it’s now being reported that Chelsea have agreed to pay that fee, giving in to the German club’s demands. Fabrizio Romano has posted on X: “Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has completed main part of medical as new Chelsea player as planned. £55m deal done.”
It looks as though Gittens will be a Chelsea player next season, but he won’t officially be able to join until July 1. There is an extra squad registration window in this Club World Cup, but with the window still not open, it is designed for injury replacements by existing players.
Gittens the right fit
Chelsea have had a clear transfer strategy for the last 18 months that has involved signing young layers who have room to grow and improve. Gittens certainly fits that profile, only 20 years of age and already a regular for a club near the top of Bundesliga and competing in the Champions League.
While the Blues want young players, they also need a player who can compete for a starting spot against the likes of Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke, and Gittens will feel as though he can do that, but he will be looking for more consistency next season after a slower campaign of last, although Dortmund took a step back as a whole.
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