Chelsea transfer roundup: Club chief issues concerning Jamie Gittens update amid 'offer' for Real Madrid man
All the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Chelsea as they prepare for their quarter-final.
Chelsea are now preparing for their FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final with Palmeiras on Friday night, or Saturday morning UK time. The Blues are hoping to continue their participation in the United States, but many club staff are back home and working hard on new signings.
The Blues have already been active in the summer window, snapping up Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, and we are expecting to see plenty of incomings and outgoings before the summer window slams shut in a couple of months. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Stamford Bridge.
Gittens move stalling?
Chelsea’s expected signing of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens appears to be in the air after the winger returned to camp Dortmund in the United States following talks with the Blues. Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken told Sport1: “He’s in the hotel. We released him briefly once to hold talks, but he’s back now. I believe it is in the interest of everyone involved that we no longer take too great a risk that a player might get injured.”
“Nothing is finalized yet, and if anything, it will take a while. If there were a strong probability that such a transfer would work out, I would announce it here, but obviously I won’t.”
Garcia offer
Chelsea are said to be interested in a move for Real Madrid starlet Gonzalo Garcia this summer. According to Fichajes, the Blues have been one of many to have been impressed by Garcia’s performances at the Club World Cup.
It’s claimed the Blues are considering an offer of around £34million for the young forward, who is just 21 years of age. Garcia is unlikely to get regular game time at the Santiago Bernabeu this season, so if Chelsea put up that money, there may be a genuine decision to make for the Spanish giants.
Gallas questions Pedro
William Gallas has questioned Chelsea’s decision to sign Joao Pedro from Brighton this summer. He told Prime Casino: “Yeah, Pedro is a good player, but his numbers are nearly identical to Jackson. Is he an improvement on Jackson? I don’t know.
“Pedro isn’t a world-class striker, and it looks like Chelsea won't get that world-class striker. It looks like they will remain faithful to the players that they have because we can all see that this is a young group that are getting better and developing in the right way. If the team keeps developing, then I think they can take another step forward, but they’re still missing the world-class players that will put them in the title conversation. We all know what Chelsea’s strategy is now. I actually think that it’s starting to work, but it just means it will take the club a season or two before this group is ready to compete for the biggest prizes, whereas in my day, we went out and bought the best players to win the league that very season.”
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