£70m Arsenal target becomes ‘the one’ for Chelsea as Maresca changes his mind

Chelsea are leading the race to sign Jamie Gittens in a deal which would see rivals Arsenal miss out, according to a report.

Gittens spent time in the Reading and Chelsea academies before joining Manchester City’s youth setup in July 2018. However, he never made a first-team appearance for City as he decided to join Borussia Dortmund in September 2020.

Gittens had been inspired by the likes of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho establishing themselves as top stars while at BVB.

Ironically, the 20-year-old has ended up replacing Sancho at Dortmund following his £73m transfer to Manchester United in July 2021.

And Gittens could replace Sancho again this summer, with Chelsea debating paying United a £5m penalty fee so they do not have to sign the latter permanently.

As per an update on Gittens’ situation from TBR Football, Chelsea have put him ‘at the top of their list’ as they search for a new left winger.

Enzo Maresca’s side are long-term admirers of Athletic Club star Nico Williams, but they have changed targets and are now prioritising a deal to reunite with Gittens.

Arsenal very much like the England U21 international, though Chelsea can be considered ‘frontrunners’ in the chase to snap him up.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has told TBR that Gittens is ‘the one’ for Maresca and Chelsea, with a summer deal increasing in likelihood.

“There have been conversations. Gittens wants to come back to the Premier League – he’s ready now. So it’s a real possibility,” Bailey said.

“There have been talks about him recently, and it’s been progressing in recent weeks. He could very well be the one.”

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Chelsea on pole for Jamie Gittens

Dortmund are expected to demand £70m (€82m / $93m) before selling Gittens, though Chelsea will push to drive that price down.

The report names Sancho, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku as players who could make way for the new arrival.

Mykhailo Mudryk’s future is also up in the air as he has failed a drugs test and is currently awaiting the result of his B sample.

Chelsea and Arsenal are not the only major Premier League clubs to have been linked with Gittens.

Manchester City, Newcastle United and Manchester United have all been impressed by his dazzling performances in the Bundesliga and Champions League, too.

Plus, it was claimed in March that Tottenham Hotspur have begun laying the ‘groundwork’ for a deal to land him.

But Gittens – who has been praised for his electric pace – appears most likely to end up at Stamford Bridge.

The London-born ace will be aiming to improve Chelsea’s threat in the final third, should he complete the move. He has notched 12 goals and five assists in 44 appearances for Dortmund this season.

Chelsea transfers: United claim; Arsenal approach

Meanwhile, Man Utd are interested in signing Chelsea’s best player this summer, according to one senior reporter.

Plus, Arsenal are ready to make an enquiry about another Chelsea forward.

The star is keen to move on as he has been left disappointed by his lack of minutes under Maresca.

IN FOCUS – Gittens career timeline

By Samuel Bannister

➡️ Born in 2004, Gittens was honed mainly in the Reading academy (with a brief stint at Chelsea) before moving to Manchester City at under-14 level.

➡️ Gittens spent two years with City before moving to Germany to join the Borussia Dortmund academy.

➡️ In the 2021-22 season, Gittens scored six goals in four games in the UEFA Youth League for Dortmund’s U18s.

➡️ He earned his Bundesliga debut for the senior team in April 2022, coming on as a sub against Wolfsburg.

➡️ In July 2022, he helped England win the UEFA European Under-19 Championship as a starter in the final.

➡️ He scored his first Bundesliga goal in August 2022, four days after turning 18.

➡️ In February 2023, he came on as a sub against Chelsea to make his Champions League debut.

➡️ Gittens was called up by England’s U21s for the first time in September 2023.

➡️ He scored his first Champions League goal – and got an assist in the same game – against AC Milan in November 2023.

➡️ He featured as a late sub in the Champions League final in June 2024 as Dortmund lost to Real Madrid.

➡️ Gittens scored braces on his first Bundesliga and Champions League appearances of the new season in August and September 2024 respectively.

➡️ He reached 10 goals for the season, for the first time in his career, by January 2025 – by which point he already had five assists for the season to his name too.