Set to leave BVB?
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The summer transfer window is just around the corner and with a number of Premier League clubs all but drawing a line under their league campaigns for another season, many are now turning their attention towards their main transfer targets. One such player that will likely be the source of serious attention from Europe’s biggest clubs is none other than Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens. And despite the immense promise that the English winger has shown in the Bundesliga, the German giants may be more willing to part ways with the young star than most in England appreciate.
Are Dortmund willing to sell Jamie Gittens this summer?
Gittens made the move to Germany in September 2020, when he signed on a free transfer from Manchester City’s youth academy. Although the left winger went straight into Dortmund’s own youth teams, it wasn’t long before he was staking a claim in the club’s first team. After bagging 11 goals and five assists in just 20 games for Dortmund’s youth team, Gittens was given his senior debut by the club in April 2022, coming on as a substitute in the club’s 6-1 win over Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. What then followed was an impressive 22/23 season in which the winger made 20 appearances across all competitions, before stepping up a level with 10 goals and assists across all competitions in the 23/24 campaign.
This season started well for Gittens, as he looked to build on the previous two campaigns and cement his spot in Dortmund’s first team. In the first half of the season, the young winger bagged no less than five goals and four assists in just 15 league games and was a regular starter under Nuri Sahin. However, while Gittens’ individual form was skyrocketing, Dortmund’s overall form was nosediving and at the end January Sahin was sacked after his team slumped to eleventh in the league table. The club then appointed former Bayern Munich and Wolsburg head coach Niko Kovac and things seemingly flipped on their head: Dortmund started climbing the league table but Gittens’ form and standing in the team dropped off dramatically.
As we can see in the graphic above, prior to Kovac’s arrival Gittens was picking up plenty of game time and averaging an impressive 0.69 goal contributions per 90 in all competitions. Since the new head coach has taken over at the Westfalenstadion, the winger’s game time has dropped off dramatically and rather remarkably he’s managed just one goal since mid-February. And that’s almost certainly due to Kovac not trusting the young winger quite as much as his predecessor.
In a recent interview with German publication Ruhr Nachrichten, Kovac curiously referred to Gittens as a player still in the “development phase”, as opposed to a senior member of the squad. This would perhaps explain why the Croatian tactician has often preferred to play Maximilian Beier – two years Gitten’s senior – on the left wing, instead of the former Man City prospect. But there may also be more to it than simple tactics or Kovac’s preference in the starting XI.
The same publication released an explosive report earlier in the week, stating that Gittens had already announced his departure from Dortmund to his team mates in the dressing room. According to the publication, the English talent was quoted as saying “I’ll be leaving soon anyway” and “I’m definitely not playing here next year”. Which would certainly explain why the club are reportedly prepared to sell the young winger at the right price this summer.
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Who wants to sign Gittens this summer?
Although Gittens has perhaps tumbled down the pecking order at Dortmund, that doesn’t seem to have discouraged English clubs from taking a reported interest in the player. According to German publication WAZ, Chelsea remain extremely interested in signing the player, who actually began his youth career at the Stamford Bridge club before moving on to Man City. However, RN believe that Arsenal now lead the race to sign Gittens in the summer, who are apparently in a better financial position to match Dortmund’s asking price for the player. The 20-year-old talent has a market value of €50 million and according to the reports in Germany, Dortmund would hold out for such a figure if they were to sell Gittens, but would be hoping for slightly more. But the club’s negotiating position will likely be dictate by their qualification for next season’s Champions League and the riches that come with it.
