Chelsea have reportedly rejected Roma's opening offer for Jamie Gittens, but talks are set to continue over a possible transfer. The 22-year-old winger, who joined from Borussia Dortmund last summer for £52 million, has had a difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge, scoring just one goal and making five assists in 27 appearances across all competitions before a hamstring injury sidelined him for the second half of the campaign.
Roma's interest and Chelsea's stance
According to talkSPORT, Roma made a loan offer for the England youth international, but the west London club quickly turned it down. Reports from Italy claim that talks between the two teams will continue over the coming days, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side expected to make another offer. However, it is said that Chelsea have no intention of letting Gittens leave this transfer window after he impressed new head coach Xabi Alonso during pre-season.
Roma are desperate to sign a player in that position and turned their attention to Gittens after missing out on Alejandro Garnacho, who left Chelsea for Aston Villa. The Italian club's need for a left-sided attacker remains urgent, and they are likely to persist in their pursuit.
Alonso's first match and squad depth
Alonso will make his debut in the Chelsea dugout on Monday night when they visit local rivals Fulham in their opening Premier League match. Despite the upcoming fixture, there is still a great deal of business the club needs to do, with a focus on offloading the many unwanted players still at Stamford Bridge, including Nicolas Jackson, Mykhailo Mudryk, Liam Delap, and Mamadou Sarr.
New £117 million signing Morgan Rogers is expected to be the first-choice left-sided attacker under Alonso, which could restrict Gittens' opportunities. However, Chelsea want to have adequate cover in the wide areas following the sale of Garnacho and with the future of Pedro Neto up in the air. Neto has been linked with Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Al-Hilal, but those rumours have cooled with no club willing to meet Chelsea's £100 million asking price.
Other outgoings and incomings
Alonso also has new arrival Geovany Quenda and Mudryk at his disposal, with Chelsea also rejecting a loan offer from Leeds for the Ukraine winger in the last few days. The club's transfer activity remains busy as they look to streamline their squad before the window closes.
Gittens' future at Chelsea remains uncertain, but for now, the club's stance is clear: they are not willing to let him leave, despite Roma's interest. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the Italian side can change Chelsea's mind.
