Jamie Gittens joined Chelsea this summer as one of the several new exciting signings, but it already looks like he may have a tough task trying to nail down a permanent starting position.
The Blues paid around £55m (Daily Mail) to buy Jamie Gittens, 21, from Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea figures are expecting big things from Gittens, and he looked pretty sharp during a short pre-season at Stamford Bridge. The left-winger has had a mixed start to the 2025/26 campaign with his new club, though.
After starting Chelsea’s first game of the Premier League season in the goalless draw with Crystal Palace, Gittens came off in the second half without making too much of an impact. As a result, he dropped to the bench and only received a late cameo in Friday night’s 5-1 league win away to West Ham.
| Opponent | Minutes played | Goals | Assists | Total shots | Chances created | Match rating |
| West Ham | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 |
| Crystal Palace | 54 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6.8 |
It is pretty clear that Gittens faces tough competition in the wide areas from teammates Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto. On top of that, Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho still expects to join Chelsea in this transfer window.
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Danny Murphy questions Jamie Gittens signing, makes Noni Madueke claim
TalkSPORT pundit and former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy has raised a question mark around Chelsea signing Gittens.
The Blues sold England winger Noni Madueke, 23, to Arsenal this summer for around £52m (Sky Sports), which did help make room in the squad at Stamford Bridge. However, Murphy’s “gut feeling” is that Madueke is a better player than Gittens.
Murphy said via talkSPORT (22 August): “It will be interesting with Gittens to see how he does. They paid the same money for him as they got for Madueke. My gut feeling is that Madueke has probably got a bit more. He might prove me wrong; we’ll have to wait and see. Both talented players, of course…
“I would have understood it more if they got more for Madueke and bought him (Gittens) for less, thinking he can become better. I don’t see that one personally.”
Jamie Carragher suggests Gittens isn’t an upgrade on Madueke, but only time will tell.
The notable difference is that Gittens prefers to play on the left wing, while Madueke likes to cut infield from the right flank. Therefore, it may be fairer to talk about Blues prodigy Estevao Willian, who’s effectively taken Madueke’s spot in the squad on the right of attack.
Jamie Gittens vs Noni Madueke
Even though Gittens is fairly experienced for someone his age, he’s still a couple of years behind Madueke in terms of his development.
| Player | Age | Clubs | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Jamie Gittens | 21 | Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea | 109 | 17 | 14 |
| Noni Madueke | 23 | Arsenal, Chelsea, PSV Eindhoven | 174 | 40 | 22 |
There should be some understanding that Gittens may take a bit of time to get up to full speed and hit top gear at his new club, even though he’s cost a lot of money. The positive thing is that he should be in and out of the team because the manager has the options to rotate.
Enzo Maresca convinced Gittens to join Chelsea this summer after a chat with him, so we’re sure he’s got big plans for him moving forward.
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