Better signing than Gittens: Chelsea now expect to land "world-class" star

Chelsea’s capture of Liam Delap was Enzo Maresca’s first signing of the 2025 summer transfer window.

It will likely be the first of many as the Italian looks to sign high-profile stars that will improve his squad ahead of next season.

With Champions League football to look forward to for the first time since the 2022/23 season, Maresca is going to spend in order to be fully prepared for the group stages.

As such, the club have been linked with numerous attacking players in recent weeks. Hugo Ekitike is someone that the manager is keen on bringing to Stamford Bridge.

He could cost around £84m, however, which may prove to be a stumbling block. Samu Aghehowa is another striker on Maresca’s list of targets, but he could cost roughly the same as Ekitike if Chelsea are serious about bringing him to London.

Wide options are also being targeted and Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens is a talent that the Blues are desperate to have before the start of next season.

How much would the German side demand for the Englishman to let him move to the Premier League?

The latest on Chelsea’s pursuit of Jamie Gittens

Gittens has been linked with a move to Chelsea over the previous few weeks, and it appears the club are serious about signing him.

According to Ben Jacobs on Sunday, the Blues have had a bid rejected. He said on social media: “Understand Dortmund want around £42m for Jamie Gittens. Chelsea’s opening bid of £30m has been turned down but positive talks continue. Chelsea happy to wait until after the June 10 deadline if no breakthrough ahead of the Club World Cup.”

Less than a year ago, Gittens was hailed as the future of Dortmund and was looking to follow in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham.

Since Nico Kovac took over as coach, however, the youngster has struggled to fit into his system, and it now appears they are looking to cash in on the winger.

Since making his debut for the club in the 2021/22 season, the 20-year-old has amassed over 100 competitive appearances.

A total of 31 goal contributions – 17 goals and 14 assists – have been registered in that period, establishing him as one of the most promising young wingers on the continent.

While landing a player of Gittens’ quality this summer, do the club need another wide option?

Maresca can already count on the likes of Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, Tyrique George and Mykhaylo Mudryk (when he returns from his suspension) to play on either wing.

Add in the fact that they have signed Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda, it is evident that this area is rather stacked with players.

Instead of spending another £40m-£50m on someone like Gittens, no matter how talented he is, perhaps directing these funds to other areas of the squad should be deemed a bigger priority.

A new goalkeeper, for example.

Chelsea preparing to make move for new goalkeeper

It is no secret that the Blues have struggled to find a consistent number one goalkeeper in recent years.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Edouard Mendy and Robert Sanchez have all held the position over the previous few years, but none truly convinced the supporters, with Kepa and Sanchez notably-error prone.

As such, signing a new ‘keeper this summer should be what Maresca is focusing on.

Well, according to Sky Sports, the Blues have told AC Milan that they are willing to pay a transfer fee in the region of €15m (£12.6m) to secure the services of Mike Maignan.

It’s a fee that could get them close to completing a move with journalist Graeme Bailey reporting on the saga that the Blues now expect to sign the Frenchman in time for the Club World Cup.

The Milan number one has been with the club since the summer of 2021, making a total of 163 appearances for the Serie A side, notably impressing at club level and on the international stage, most recently against German in the Nations League.

If Maresca wishes to improve his options between the sticks, then signing the 29-year-old is clearly a must.

Why Mike Maignan would be a better signing than Jamie Gittens

The Blues have a plethora of wingers available to make an impression under Maresca but their goalkeeping department leaves plenty to be desired.

Last year, Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen were both used by Maresca. The Spaniard made 34 appearances, while Jorgensen played 23 times for the club.

Across his 34 games, the Spaniard kept just ten clean sheets, conceding 37 goals in the process. Jorgensen managed to keep only nine clean sheets while shipping 22 goals.

To summarise, the Blues need someone who could be the main choice under Maresca. A player that will win them points when the club aren’t playing well.

In that regard, Maignan is the ideal choice. He was hailed as “world-class” by writer Carlo Garganese in 2022 for a stunning performance against Inter Milan.

Across his 163 games for the Italian giants, Maignan has kept 59 clean sheets, working out as one every 2.7 games.

In the Italian top flight last season, the Frenchman made 2.7 saves per game – a 71% success rate – while also keeping 12 clean sheets, conceding 1.1 goals per game, was successful with 95% of his passes within his own half and averaged 46.5 touches per match.

When compared to his positional peers in Serie A, Maignan ranks in the top 10% for passes attempted per 90 (37.02), while also ranking in the top 7% for defensive actions outside his penalty area (1.86) per 90.

That last statistic is important, signifying that the 29-year-old plays quite far off his goal line in order to distribute the ball and stop opposition attacks.

Maignan is now the French number one and with Milan not in any European competition next season after an eighth-place finish in Serie A, joining Chelsea makes sense for all parties.

He will be able to establish himself as the number one ‘keeper at Stamford Bridge while playing in the Champions League once again.

Could they secure his services for a fee just north of £10m? It would be tough, but not impossible, that’s for sure. He could turn out to be a much better signing than Gittens should Maresca get a deal over the line.

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