Chelsea hit another wall in Jamie Gittens pursuit as Dortmund hold firm on asking price | OneFootball

Chelsea have hit another stumbling block in their bid to land Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.

According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, the club have turned down an improved £42 million offer from Chelsea, although the deal is not dead.

The pre-Club World Cup transfer window closes this evening, so there’s a decent chance this transfer tug-of-war could stretch deeper into the summer.

However, the Blues are not giving. Chelsea are racing against time to strengthen Enzo Maresca’s squad for the tournament, and Gittens is one of several players on their radar.

After activating Liam Delap’s £30 million release clause to sign him from Ipswich Town, Chelsea turned their attention to reinforcing the flanks.

They decided not to sign Jadon Sancho permanently after the Manchester United loanee refused to reduce his hefty salary to fit their wage bill.

Chelsea also made a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

With at least four goalkeepers already on their books, that position wasn’t a priority, but they saw an opportunity to bring in an experienced shot-stopper for a cut-price fee.

However, they refused to meet Milan’s demands and ultimately decided to walk away.

Chelsea have now set their sights on Gittens. They have already agreed a seven-year contract with him, but Dortmund have refused to drop their asking price.

Chelsea’s initial offer of £29.6m for Gittens was turned down. A second bid has also been rejected, with Dortmund standing firm on their £55m valuation.

Gittens views the Europa Conference League winners as the next step in his career, and Chelsea could use his dynamism and attacking flair on the left flank.