Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Gittens has his heart set on a summer transfer move to Chelsea, but the West London club may have other ideas. Recent reports indicate the Blues are also contemplating a swoop for Lyon winger Malick Fofana.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Gittens has alread agreed to a potential seven-year contract with Chelsea. Furthemore, he is not inclined to enter into negotations with any other clubs. The problem is that Chelsea have yet to satisfy Dortmund's asking price for the English winger.
🚨🔵 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, not opening doors to other clubs as he mantains the agreement on sevel year deal with Chelsea.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 17, 2025
Discussions club to club remain ongoing. pic.twitter.com/6J1amx4KQf
Officials at Stamford Bridge are wise not to put all of their transfer eggs in the Gittens basket. They need to add talent on the wing and he is not the only available player who fits the bill. Fofana might not have the same level of athletic explosiveness that defines Gittens' game, but he's already shown an ability to perform at a high level in Ligue 1.
Is Chelsea's interest in Malick Fofana legit or a smokescreen?
The real question here is whether or not Chelsea are just leaking their interest in Fofana to force Dortmund's hands. The German club possesses a well-earned reputation for driving hard bargains in the transfer market. One need only look back at the massive fee Dortmund extracted for Jadon Sancho to see how formidable they can be in the summer transfer window.
Gittens is the superior prospect to Fofana and his value to Chelsea is only increased by his English heritage. Dortmund officials are keenly aware of the premium they can extract from the Premier League side based on that fact. That's also why Chelsea may be trying to plant seeds in the press that they have other alternatives to Gittens if a deal cannot be struck.
In the end, the odds still favor Gittens making the move from Dortmund to Chelsea before the end of the summer window. The Blues might also look to reel Fofana in, but he's not their primary target. This is a classic example of transfer posturing between two clubs looking to get the best deal possible.