'007 club': ex-BVB star Gittens struggles at Chelsea | OneFootball

Ex-BVB star Jamie Gittens pushed for a move to Chelsea FC last summer. His start with the Blues has been anything but impressive. The 21-year-old is having major problems in London. To make matters worse, the attacking player is also being mocked.

After his €65 million transfer in the summer, the 21-year-old now wears the prestigious number 11 – but there is little sign of any glamour. In seven competitive matches, Gittens has only started twice, and both times he was substituted shortly after halftime. Goals or assists? None.

On social media, the Englishman has even earned a nickname: Gittens is being mocked as a member of the so-called “007 Club” – an ironic reference to James Bond. The term refers to attacking players who record zero goals and zero assists in their first seven appearances.

Just a year ago, Gittens was considered one of the biggest hopes at Borussia Dortmund. In the Champions League, he impressed with five goal involvements in his first five games, and in the Bundesliga, he thrilled with his pace and dribbling. Coach Nuri Sahin praised him at the time: “He has made huge progress.”

BVB laughs: €65 million deal was a bullseye

Photo: IMAGO

For BVB, on the other hand, the transfer was an ideal business deal. The Black and Yellows had once signed Gittens as a youth player from Manchester City and only paid a small training compensation. With the sale to Chelsea, Dortmund has now made a record profit for a player who was no longer a regular under Niko Kovac.

Already in the second half of the 2024 season, Gittens struggled with inconsistency and defensive weaknesses. In a system without classic wingers, he found no place and was mostly only used as a substitute. In retrospect, the fact that Dortmund was able to secure such a high transfer fee in the summer was likely a mix of luck and good timing.

Kovac, who was initially criticized for his tough approach toward the youngster, can also feel vindicated. He consistently relied on more team-oriented players – with success. After a strong finish to the season and a successful start to the new campaign, BVB is more stable than it has been in a long time.

For Gittens himself, the Premier League adventure has been difficult so far. The competition in attack is enormous: With Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto, Estevão William, and the injured Cole Palmer, several top-class players are vying for similar positions.

So nothing is lost yet. But one thing is clear: At the moment, Borussia Dortmund is the only winner of this transfer – while Gittens is fighting for his Premier League future in London.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.