CHELSEA have agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign Jamie Gittens.
Talks had been progressing in the US, where both teams are taking part in the Club World Cup.
And despite Bayern Munich also being interested, a deal has now been agreed for the 20-year-old to move to Stamford Bridge.
It comes hours before Enzo Maresca‘s side take on Benfica in the last-16 at the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina.
And Gittens will undergo his medical tonight in the US, before finalising a seven-year-deal until 2032, reportedly worth £50million with £5million in add-ons.
Earlier this month, Dortmund turned down an offer worth £42m, with the clubs unable to agree a deal before the first window closed on June 10.
This eventual agreement comes amid Chelsea‘s search to strengthen wide areas after rejecting their obligation to buy Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.
Gittens contributed 12 goals and five assists in 48 games in all competitions for Dortmund last season.
But the England U21 international, and former Reading youth product, has struggled with illness and hardly played in the USA this month.
The Blues had already spent £1.4billion to assemble their current squad, but club transfer chiefs were desperate to bring their former youth star back home.
Gittens has previously been affiliated with the Stamford Bridge outfit, having been on Chelsea’s books as a youth player before making the switch to Manchester City.
He moved to Germany in 2020, following in the footsteps of Sancho, and broke into the Dortmund team in 2022.
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In October, at 20 years and 75 days old, Gittens became the youngest English player to score against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
He joins brief Dortmund team-mate Jobe Bellingham and Chelsea’s Liam Delap in a list full of players who couldn’t join England‘s Under-21s at the Euros this month.
Despite several high profile absences, the young Three Lions have made the Euros final yet again, where they hope to retain their title when they face off against Germany on Saturday night.
Gittens was part of the England side that won the U19 European Championships in 2022.
His return to English football will see him competing for a place in Maresca’s side with the likes of Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke, who currently occupy the flanks.
Ex-England U19 head coach Ian Foster said: “He was a quiet boy but a joy to work with, really humble, open-minded and always up for the challenge.
“Jamie is a player that would never get disheartened if he wasn’t getting success.
“He’s going to be up against some of the world’s best full-backs in the Premier League next season and if he’s having a tough time, he won’t go missing.
“In fact, it will have the reverse effect, it will actually excite him.“
