Chelsea are one of several clubs to have been alerted to Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens's availability after he reportedly announced his exit plans to teammates.
The Blues managed to get the better of Liverpool when they beat them 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, significantly boosting their chances of Champions League qualification.
Should the Londoners return to Europe's premier club competition, they will be keen on strengthening in a number of departments in order to consolidate their place in the tournament.
Considering the recent struggles of Cole Palmer in the forward line, it is not surprising that Enzo Maresca's side have been linked to young Dortmund attacker Gittens.
However, Ruhr Nachrichten claim that Chelsea will face competition from Liverpool and Arsenal for his services, with the latter said to be leading the race for his signature.
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Jamie Gittens in profile
Gittens is just 20 years old and has already established himself as a key member of BVB's squad in 2024-25, scoring 12 goals and providing three assists in all competitions.
It should be said that the Englishman has only played 2,767 minutes of football this season, the equivalent of less than 31 full matches.
The attacker is comfortable operating out wide on the left but also has experience playing in a more central role, with his pace and trickery on the ball particularly useful in transition.
Gittens has managed to find the back of the net against some of the Bundesliga's best, scoring against Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, and he also netted against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
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Who should Gittens sign for?
Chelsea will need to strengthen in attack if they wish to challenge champions Liverpool, as while they managed to score three goals last time out in the top flight, they only netted seven goals in their prior seven league matches.
Arsenal have also been linked with offensive reinforcements, but it is not yet clear whether he would be able to claim a starting spot and displace Gabriel Martinelli.
As for Liverpool, while left-winger Luis Diaz has been inconsistent at times and reportedly has suitors in the Saudi Pro League, Cody Gakpo would likely limit Gittens's playing time.
Lewis Nolan
