It looks to be a case of one in and one out at Chelsea this week when it comes to wingers. After a promise to deliver transfer activity before the Club World Cup starts, they are not hanging around.
Liam Delap is already through the door (with an announcement set to be made) and the recruitment team are pushing heavily to complete a deal or Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens. Three Englishmen, two ties to Germany, and a bit of an attacking shake-up.
Chelsea had always been keen to sign a right-footed left-winger this summer and pursued several in the January window. Gittens was among them with Alejandro Garnacho and Nico Williams also of interest.
They were also happy enough to keep Jadon Sancho, who, like Pedro Neto and even Noni Madueke at the end of the season, can play on both sides. That versatility has been crucial for Enzo Maresca with Mykhailo Mudryk suspended since December for testing positive of having a banned substance in his system.
Injuries after February to Madueke and Nicolas Jackson further stretched the front line with Christopher Nkunku failing to match his form at RB Leipzig once again. Joao Felix was brought in as backup to Cole Palmer last year but was loaned out in January having hardly played in the Premier League.
Neto was deployed centrally with Cobham academy graduate Tyrique George filling in during the Conference League and as a substitute at points as well. Despite this, Marc Cucurella scored more than all of these names other than Madueke.
In the league, Sancho only managed three – and they came against Ipswich Town, Southampton, and Tottenham, all teams at the bottom of the table – with Neto getting four. The former Wolves man did also clock six assists and Sancho racked up four but it is not the sort of output Chelsea needed during Cole Palmer’s dry patch and Jackson’s drop in form.
The answer, Chelsea seem to have decided, is Gittens, at least for now. The 20-year-old had a breakout year in Germany as he scored eight times and assisted three in the Bundesliga as well as having a statement performance away to Real Madrid.
His release clause with Dortmund in the Champions League is thought to be around £50million. For a player with immense raw materials – speed, fast feet, and an eye for a shot – he fits the bill for Chelsea and comes into their desired age bracket as well.
The question is, with middling output in a league that tends to inflate attacking numbers, is Gittens the sort of player Chelsea need? Without Sancho, there is certainly room to bring in more than one player able to operate on the left, but at the cost of most players in this position, the debate is whether or not Gittens offers the upgrade which is needed.
This comes with reports that Madueke, two-and-a-half years since joining from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, is not deemed unsellable. Chelsea, it is known, are open to bids for their players if it is at the right price. Newcastle United have shown serious interest in him previously.
The ironic thing is Madueke is also one of the bigger success stories for Chelsea in the past 12 months. He is a prototype Maresca winger with directness and relentless dribbling. Although he can frustrate at times with decision-making, application, and consistency, his underlying metrics are significantly better than his peers.
For example, Madueke averages 0.61xG+A (expected goals and assists) per90 this season. Neto came in at 0.40 and Sancho at 0.30. Under Mauricio Pochettino, Madueke ended with 0.44 per90 and it was only 0.20 in his first six months at Chelsea.
Neto is the man in favour currently, though. He was signed for £51million last summer and has been in good form most recently. He gave Maresca something new as a No.9 with energy and purpose compared to what Nkunku had been providing.
Although this is true, Neto has also struggled to show year-on-year improvement since coming onto the scene at Wolves. With an aerial threat through the middle – someone like Delap, perhaps – the argument is that Neto will produce more.
This is a gamble for a player who has never scored more than five league goals in a single season. Gittens, on the other hand, had only managed three in his best senior year at Dortmund before this season. That was boosted by a run of five goals and two assists in seven.
A change of manager and a poor Dortmund season in general meant that he was unable to totally kick on and keep pace with this development throughout. He ended the season with one contribution in 14 appearances, losing his spot in the starting XI.
Without Sancho, can Chelsea rely on Gittens to provide on the left side? Players moving from Germany tend to take a while to adapt to the different nature of the Premier League. Gittens is also young and raw. In effect, it would be like going back to Madueke when he arrived.
If that is who Chelsea are going to start the season with on the left flank then it is certainly a risk. They do have other options to rotate with on the left as mentioned but none of them can be defined as world-class.
The same goes for Estevao Willian, who will join and be integrated into the senior team over the summer. He arrives from Palmeiras, who he will represent at the Club World Cup. The 18-year-old may well be immensely talented but will again need time to adapt and acclimatise. To expect him to make an immediate impact would be irresponsible from Chelsea but they are committed to providing him a pathway.
Kendry Paez will also come in but is expected to leave on loan. He is seen as being even more raw than Estevao. Chelsea paid over £13million to buy him from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle, where he has remained for the past 18 months.
The other options in the market include Garnacho, who has Premier League experience but off-field issues including an outspoken brother and questions over his attitude. At United he has constantly been a livewire, albeit an infuriating one.
The player is free to leave Old Trafford this summer with an asking price thought to be closer to £40million. That could end up as being cheaper than Gittens despite his numbers in a tougher league for attackers being better.
These are the sorts of things that Chelsea will have to weigh up as they continue to make changes to their forward line. With Champions League football and a step up in competition, the demands will be bigger. That is not yet being reflected in the quality of player they are targeting, even if the potential of them cannot be argued.
Learn more
