Chelsea’s £42m bid for Jamie Gittens rejected by Borussia Dortmund

Chelsea’s ambitious move to bring English winger Jamie Gittens back to Stamford Bridge has hit a roadblock, as Borussia Dortmund have rejected an offer worth over £42 million for the 20-year-old.

Gittens, who previously spent time in Chelsea’s youth academy, has shown interest in a return, but the two clubs remain far apart in their valuation of the talented winger.

Despite the player reportedly being keen on the switch, Dortmund appear unwilling to let him go easily. Gittens is under contract with the German side and has a fresh seven-year deal on the table.

While he has not fully fit into new manager Niko Kovac’s system, Dortmund remain firm on their stance, casting doubt on whether Chelsea can seal the deal before the Club World Cup registration deadline on Tuesday.

Gittens had a strong 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign, scoring eight goals in 32 appearances. Having come through Manchester City’s academy before joining Dortmund in 2020, his rapid development has made him one of England’s most promising young players. Despite his limited role under Kovac, Dortmund still see long-term value in retaining him.

Chelsea’s transfer interest extends beyond Gittens, as they are also monitoring Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus. These alternatives suggest that the Blues are actively exploring multiple attacking reinforcements for the upcoming season, especially with the Club World Cup on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have ended their pursuit of AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan after a disagreement over valuation. Milan are demanding £25 million for the French international, who has only one year left on his deal and turns 30 next month. Chelsea, however, reportedly value him at around half that price and have opted to move on.

In a related transfer development, Dortmund have secured another young English prospect, signing Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland in a deal initially worth £27 million.

As the summer transfer window progresses, both Dortmund and Chelsea are expected to remain active, though whether Gittens will end up in blue remains uncertain.