Jamie Gittens breaks silence after £52m Chelsea transfer as emotional statement released

Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens has paid tribute to the German club as he signs for Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

Dortmund announced this week that an agreement had been reached with the Blues for the 20-year-old to move to Stamford Bridge. It is expected that Chelsea will pay an initial £48.5m with an extra £3.5m paid through add-ons.

Ahead of his exit from the Bundesliga giants,Gittens has taken to Instagram to pay tribute to Dortmund. In an emotional post, the winger wrote: "After five amazing years, it’s time for me to move on and begin a new chapter in my career.

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"I arrived at BVB as a 16-year-old, and from day one, the club believed in me and gave me the space to develop as a player and as a person. I’ve learned so much during my time here, and I’ll always be thankful for that.

"To all my teammates, all the coaches, staff, and everyone behind the scenes - thank you for all the support and guidance. And to the fans… from the moment I made my debut, you’ve shown me nothing but love.

"You made me understand what makes this club so special. I’ll always carry that with me.

"Wishing you all nothing but success for the future. Dortmund will always be home!"

Gittenshad a brief six-month stint at Chelsea as a youngster before returning to Reading, who sold him to Manchester City's youth academy. From there, the wide player would make the switch to Dortmund as a teenager to continue his development into senior football.

He would make his Bundesliga debut in the 2021/22 season, and each campaign since, his stock has grown at Dortmund. In 2024/25, he would make 48 appearances for the Germans, including 14 in the Champions League, scoring 12 goals across all competitions.

Following his move to Chelsea, Gittens told the club's official website: "It feels great. It’s a great feeling to join such a big club as Chelsea.

"I can’t wait to learn from everyone in the team and to push myself to the max here. It’s an amazing feeling."

Gittens has signed a seven-year contract at Chelsea which shall keep him tied to the club until the summer of 2032.