Transfer News

Chelsea think £84m England U21 star would ‘thrive’ under Enzo Maresca, he’d only ‘entertain’ move on one condition

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Chelsea are eyeing a potential transfer swoop for an England Under-21 international who’s enjoying a fantastic individual season with their club.

There’s already a strong core of English players running through the current Chelsea squad. For example, the Blues stars include Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Levi Colwill and Reece James.

Chelsea have enquired twice in January about Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, who’s an extremely talented England U21 international proving himself in the Premier League.

Interestingly, Enzo Maresca’s side is further linked with one of Delap’s international teammates.

England v Austria - U21 International Friendly
Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

Chelsea think Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens could thrive with them

Borussia Dortmund and England U21 winger Jamie Gittens, 20, is on a long list of attackers linked with a potential move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea scouts are watching Gittens at Dortmund, where he’s scored 10 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions so far this season

GiveMeSport now claims that Chelsea may have a boost to their chances of signing Gittens.

It is explained that the Dortmund youngster would be prepared to ‘entertain’ a move to West London if his current side misses out on Champions League qualification. As it stands, Dortmund finds themselves eighth in the Bundesliga table with less than half a season to go.

The report says that Chelsea have been eyeing Gittens for an extended period. In fact, they believe that the English wide man could ‘thrive’ under Maresca’s system, but the player is keen to see out the season with Dortmund before reevaluating his future.

Apparently, Dortmund would only consider bids in the region of £84m for their young attacking talent.

Even though GMS states that Gittens does dream of playing in the Premier League, he’d only pursue a move if he was convinced on everything.

TeamAppearancesGoalsAssists
Borussia Dortmund821514
England Under-21s1112
Jamie Gittens’ individual statistics via Transfermarkt
BundesligaBorussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen
Photo by ANP via Getty Images

Jamie Gittens vs Jadon Sancho

Gittens, who predominantly plays on the left wing, is really beginning to make a name for himself in German football.

As it stands, Jadon Sancho is the first-choice starter on Chelsea’s left wing. It’s interesting that the 24-year-old Englishman previously carved out a successful career with Dortmund before returning to his homeland.

Here is a look at how Gittens and Sancho compare in their respective league form this season:

PlayerAppearancesMinutesGoalsAssistsShots on targetPasses completedSuccessful take-onsFouls drawn
Jamie Gittens161,03763142254420
Jadon Sancho14871244360296
Jamie Gittens vs Jadon Sancho in the league during the 2024/25 season via FBREF

Even though Sancho’s enjoying a decent debut season in Chelsea colours, Gittens’ form in the Bundeslgia with Dortmund is even more impressive. It would be fascinating to see the pair battle for a starting position at Stamford Bridge in the future, but a lot has to happen before that becomes a reality.

Maresca admits he’s surprised by Sancho’s consistency at Chelsea, but we still think that he can do better with his level of individual skill.