Chelsea's £42m Bid for Jamie Gittens Rejected by Borussia Dortmund: What's Next?

Chelsea's ambitious £42m bid for English winger Jamie Gittens has been firmly rejected by Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old, who has a seven-year contract with the German club, is reportedly eager to make a move to Stamford Bridge. However, the two clubs are struggling to agree on a valuation, despite Gittens not fitting into the system of Dortmund's manager, Niko Kovac, who joined in February.

The Transfer Dilemma

The latest rejection casts doubt on whether Gittens will join Chelsea in time for the Club World Cup, with the first transfer deadline for the competition approaching on Tuesday evening. Chelsea have not ruled out further approaches for Gittens after the deadline but are also eyeing other talents such as Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and West Ham's Mohammed Kudus.

Gittens' Journey

Jamie Gittens began his career at Manchester City's academy before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2020. He made his Bundesliga debut two years later and had an impressive last season, scoring eight goals in 32 league appearances. Dortmund have also recently signed another young English talent, Jobe Bellingham, from Sunderland.

What's Next for Chelsea?

Chelsea were also interested in signing AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan but have opted to walk away due to a difference in valuation. Milan have been asking for £25m for the France international, who has just one year remaining on his current deal, but Chelsea value Maignan at about half that.