Despite no deal ahead of Club World Cup – Why Jamie Gittens is set to join Chelsea anyhow

Deal falls apart 

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Chelsea have failed to sign 20-year-old winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup. The Premier League side saw two offers turned down on Tuesday to sign the U21 England international from Dortmund. Gittens is now expected to travel with Dortmund to the United States to play the Club World Cup with the Black and Yellows. But a transfer after the tournament remains a hot topic. 

According to several media reports, Dortmund had rejected an initial offer of €35m for Gittens a few days ago. Dortmund are understood to be asking in the region of €60m for the winger. The Black and Yellows underlined those demands by rejecting a second €50m offer on Tuesday. Reports from England suggested that Chelsea hoped the offer would be enough to convince Dortmund. Those hopes were immediately thwarted, with Dortmund not only turning down the offer but also increasing their demands to €65m. Gittens has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea for a contract running until 2032. 

Even if Dortmund and Chelsea can’t agree on terms ahead of the special FIFA transfer window for the Club World Cup closing tonight at 7pm BST, a transfer is still very much on for when the regular window opens on Jul. 1. Chelsea are understood to play for time. The London club didn’t necessarily plan with Gittens for the Club World Cup and could now hope that Dortmund will lower their demands following the tournament in the United States. Dortmund announced the signing of Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland earlier today and might need money to further work on their squad. 

Set to join after Club World Cup – What can Chelsea expect from Gittens? 

Either way, it is now just a question of when and not if, and for how much Chelsea will sign Gittens from Dortmund. So, what can Chelsea fans expect from Gittens? Signed by Dortmund on a free transfer in 2020, Gittens seemed destined to be the latest rising star in the Dortmund setup. Indeed, in 2024/25, Gittens appeared to have finally reached his full potential, with the young winger scoring five goals and four assists in just 15 league games, becoming a regular starter under Nuri Sahin. The problem, however, was that Dortmund’s season began to nosedive. After the club made the change to place Niko Kovac in the dugout, Gittens increasingly found himself on the substitutes bench.. 

With Gittens falling out of favour, Dortmund became increasingly motivated to cash in on the U21 international. Overall, the feeling was that, while talented, Gittens was also somewhat limited as a player. Very fast and strong in one-on-one situations, Gittens was very good at taking on players with speed on the flank. The problem, however, is that he is a one-trick pony. Unlike his more gifted teammate Karim Adeyemi, Gittens isn’t a player capable of playing multiple positions and is a less dangerous finisher. On top of that, Kovac also demands buy-in from his attackers in defense, which is why Kovac preferred Maximilian Beier. Hard work is an important mantra, and Gittens increasingly failed in that department. 

Despite those shortcomings, the market still appeared to be strong for Gittens with several clubs interested, even if Dortmund had to lower their initial €100m expectations. After all, there is still a good player there, and his pace, despite his limited tactical awareness, makes him a weapon who could thrive in the Premier League. As a result, Dortmund aren’t desperate, and even though a deal is likely, Chelsea will still have to meet the Bundesliga club’s demands to make it happen.