‘We'll See’—Chelsea Receive Encouraging Transfer Hint for Primary Target | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund haven’t ruled out the possibility that forward Jamie Gittens leaves once the FIFA Club World Cup finishes.

Gittens remains most heavily linked with Chelsea, who have made a habit of trying to sign as much young talent as possible—usually on contracts of at least seven or eight years.

Chelsea are reported to have already agreed personal terms with Gittens on a deal until 2032. But a fee between the Blues and Dortmund is still required for the 20-year-old to return to England.

Speaking in the wake of Dortmund’s Club World Cup draw against Fluminense, sporting director Sebastian Kehl hinted that Gittens’s preference is to move on and that it isn’t out of the question as far as the Bundesliga side are concerned.

“We’ve had one or two conversations with Jamie in the last few days. He’s professional enough to know that he has to perform. That’s part of his nature,” Kehl said.

“Jamie will still be very important for us in this tournament. We’ll see what happens after that. But I don’t have a negative opinion of him.”

Gittens is the latest English talent to flourish at Dortmund. / IMAGO/Uwe Kraft

Kehl has previously said there is “definitely a market” for Gittens and it was has been reported that the club may accept as little as €50 million (£42.6 million, $57.4 million).

Gittens was very briefly a Chelsea player in childhood, also spending time in the youth academies at Reading and Manchester City. He moved to Dortmund as a 16-year-old in 2020, following a similar path from Manchester City to Germany as Jadon Sancho had done three years earlier.

The England junior international made his first-team Dortmund debut in April 2022, replacing club legend Marco Reus in a Bundesliga win over Wolfsburg.

Chelsea’s need for a winger follows on from the decision not to keep Sancho at the end of his loan from Manchester United. The Blues had agreed to a £25 million ($33.6 million ) obligation to buy, but instead made use of a £5 million ($6.7 million) penalty clause after failing to agree a contract with the player.