Chelsea are back in the top four of the Premier League with a win over West Ham on Monday evening as they beat the Hammers 2-1 and took advantage of Arsenal’s thumping of Manchester City to remain in contention for a Champions League berth. Though they were second for a few weeks in the season, Enzo Maresca acknowledged that they still lack the quality to battle for the title.
The Italian’s task at hand is to deliver a first PL crown at Stamford Bridge since 2017 and after a decent start to life in London, he will have the backing from the board in the summer. A significant outlay from Todd Boehly at the end of the campaign is expected to be at Maresca’s aid, through which he is reportedly hoping to sign a winger amongst others.
According to The Mail (h/t 90min), Chelsea are ‘working’ towards pursuing a summer swoop for Borussia Dortmund forward Jamie Gittens. He was linked with departing the Signal Iduna Park for much of January but having stayed put with the Bundesliga giants for the time being, the Blues are hoping to acquire him after ‘laying the groundwork’ for him in the winter.
Gittens aligns with Chelsea’s project
Jamie Gittens has been in fine form for Borussia Dortmund this season and a move to the Premier League is on the horizon for him. The 20-year-old would be perfect for Chelsea and in particular, Enzo Maresca, given that he is a hardworking left winger on and off the ball, with the capability of contributing to consistent numbers in the final third, perhaps better than Jadon Sancho.
Apart from the sporting aspect of his game, Gittens is young and falls in line with the club’s long-term investment plans whereas being an Englishman also means he would not occupy an overseas spot in the Chelsea squad. The Blues would need to spend £83 million on his signing and it looks like a very reasonable fee for a player who has the sky as his limit.
Following Joao Felix’s loan to AC Milan, there are doubts over whether he will be associated with the West Londoners next season and a possible sale would also alleviate PSR pressure off Chelsea, along with freeing up space in their wage budget.
