Jamie Gittens has completed a move from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea, the club have announced. He has signed a seven-year deal, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until 2032.
Following a summer chase which started in early June, ahead of the Club World Cup, Chelsea finally have their man. Interest in him dates back to January, when a move was considered.
Gittens will compete with Joao Pedro, who has also joined from Brighton for around £55million, on the left wing. The 20-year-old will cost a similar price with add-ons included.
Unlike Pedro, Chelsea will not be able to call on Gittens during what is left of their Club World Cup campaign. He was named in Dortmund’s squad for the tournament which ruled him out of playing for Chelsea despite the second registration window.
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The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world’s best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13.
Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
Enzo Maresca’s side beat Palmeiras in the quarter-final on Saturday. Gittens has only made a brief cameo appearance for Dortmund in America after coming from the bench in their opening group stage game.
He returns to England having come through the Reading academy with spells at Cobham and Manchester City as a kid. Gittens enjoyed his breakthrough season in Germany last year with eight goals and more than 30 league appearances.
He has overcome injuries to continue developing as one of Europe’s brightest young wingers. Gittens has previously played for England’s Under-21 side, although he was not involved in Lee Carsley’s European Championship winning team.
Chelsea had been hopeful of signing Gittens before the Club World Cup and had two bids rejected for him prior to the initial June 10 transfer window cut-off. Talks continued over the past few weeks to reach a resolution and now Gittens is a blue.
Upon leaving Dortmund, Gittens wrote online: “After five amazing years, it’s time for me to move on and begin a new chapter in my career.
“I arrived at BVB as a 16-year-old, and from day one, the club believed in me and gave me the space to develop as a player and as a person. I’ve learned so much during my time here, and I’ll always be thankful for that.
“To all my teammates, all the coaches, staff, and everyone behind the scenes – thank you for all the support and guidance.
“And to the fans… from the moment I made my debut, you’ve shown me nothing but love. You made me understand what makes this club so special. I’ll always carry that with me.
“Wishing you all nothing but success for the future. Dortmund will always be home!”
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