James Gittens is set to join Chelsea on a seven-year deal from Dortmund. This was reported by German transfer journalist Florian Plettenberg and confirmed by Fabrin Hawkins and Fabrizio Romano.
The 20-year-old winger will be joining the Blues in a deal worth £55 million after Dortmund initially rejected multiple offers from Chelsea due to a difference in valuation. As a result, Chelsea were unable to secure his signing in time for the Club World Cup.
However, unlike Mike Maignan, it has always been a matter of when, not if, for Chelsea to sign the winger, as he has long been admired by Enzo Maresca.
The England international primarily plays as a left winger but is also capable of operating on the right.
While he has been praised for his elite dribbling and footwork, he has also been criticized at times for his decision-making and composure in front of goal. Rising through Dortmund's academy, Gittens has made over 70 appearances, scoring 16 senior career goals, including 8 Bundesliga goals last season.
He has also had clutch moments, such as coming off the bench to score a brace against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League—an outing that earned him the Man of the Match award.
With Gittens' move now completed, Chelsea’s available options on the left wing include Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, and Cole Palmer (inverting from the right). Some Chelsea fans are also in favor of moving Nicolas Jackson to the left wing, where his excellent link-up play can be utilized—without the pressure of always being in front of goal.
Gittens will therefore face stiff competition to break into Chelsea’s starting XI. Being young and moving to a club where the fans are highly demanding means even a slight mistake could turn public opinion against him.
Hopefully, he can handle the pressure that comes with being in the spotlight.
What do you think of this signing? Let's wait and see