Jamie Gittens Could Be the Missing Piece in Enzo Maresca's Chelsea Revolution
With Jadon Sancho returning to Manchester United and Mykhaylo Mudryk facing a possible extended suspension, Chelsea find themselves in urgent need of wide reinforcements this summer.
While the Blues were linked with Alejandro Garnacho during the January window, they shifted their focus after the 2024-25 campaign ended. Rather than pursuing another deal with Man Utd, the club turned their attention to an emerging English prospect from the Bundesliga.
Jamie Gittens represents another success story from Borussia Dortmund's renowned ability to nurture young talent and ease their transition into senior football. The 20-year-old showed glimpses of his potential in 2023-24 before establishing himself more consistently last season. Although Niko Kovač opted for different options after replacing Nuri Sahin, Gittens has clearly demonstrated enough quality to warrant investment.
While Chelsea boast an impressive history of developing homegrown players, their transfer dealings have been inconsistent since Clearlake replaced Roman Abramovich as owners. Despite his considerable talent, Gittens remains a work in progress, and realistic expectations should accompany his potential arrival.
However, many believe the winger would be perfectly suited to Enzo Maresca's tactical approach, and here are three potential ways Chelsea could deploy Gittens within the Italian's system.
Preferred Role
Chelsea possess several versatile wingers capable of operating on either flank, and Gittens fits this profile. Nevertheless, the young player has shown greater impact when deployed on the left side during his early professional career.
While Gittens hasn't yet become a clinical finisher in the attacking third, he excels at creating space wide to isolate defenders before engaging them in one-versus-one situations. He featured among the top 1% of wingers across Europe's major leagues for completed dribbles per 90 minutes last season (3.57), and ranked in the top 9% for progressive carries per 90 (5.53).
His acceleration has been crucial to his effectiveness in these scenarios, though there's room for improvement in his overall dribbling ability. His success rate in take-ons fell below 50% and only placed him in the top 43% among wingers in Europe's elite divisions.
Under Maresca at Chelsea, wingers are expected to maintain width along the touchline while left-back Marc Cucurella makes forward runs into the penalty area. This tactical setup from the left wing creates opportunities for players like Cucurella, Enzo Fernández, and Cole Palmer to find space centrally. Although Gittens needs development, his ability as a dribbling threat is clear and such qualities are essential for Maresca's tactical framework.
Alternative Flank Role
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Maresca began experimenting with his wide attackers, eventually giving Noni Madueke, typically a right-sided player who cuts inside onto his stronger left foot, increased playing time on the left wing.
The fundamental responsibilities remained similar, with the manager continuing to demand width from these players rather than relying on the full-backs for attacking width. When positioned on the left, Madueke wasn't restricted to simply driving toward the touchline but also moved inward to create direct scoring opportunities.
Deploying Gittens on the right might limit his one-on-one effectiveness but could streamline his attacking responsibilities. The English winger would primarily focus on beating his marker to reach the byline before delivering crosses for Chelsea's target men and the advancing Fernández. This setup would also allow for dynamic interchanges with Palmer in central areas.
Operating from the right should provide Gittens with better crossing opportunities, reducing his reliance on his weaker left foot if Maresca simplifies his role. However, this positioning might make him more predictable compared to his left-wing performances. Additionally, with both Madueke and Pedro Neto favoring the right side, competition for that position is intense.
Kovač's Tactical Adjustment
Dortmund showed marked improvement under Niko Kovač, who implemented a tactical system that diminished the requirement for traditional touchline wingers like Gittens. Instead, wing-backs provided the width while pacey forward Karim Adeyemi assumed a more central attacking role under Kovač's guidance.
Gittens saw limited starting opportunities in the season's latter half, with Kovač's formation changes pushing the former Reading academy product into more central positions. During his brief 13-minute appearance against Fluminense in the Club World Cup, Gittens operated primarily in central areas, focusing on ball retention under pressure, escaping tight situations, and helping Dortmund progress upfield.
Although Gittens has thrived as a wide dribbler, there's potential for him to develop into a more versatile attacker capable of drifting inside and functioning as a creative force from deeper positions. Maresca's system emphasizes half-space utilization, and Gittens' recent experience in varied roles could enable the Italian coach to adapt the winger's function when required.
Currently, though, it's evident that Gittens is most effective in a wide role hugging the left touchline for Chelsea.