Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens says he will be part of Xabi Alonso’s squad next season, describing the newly appointed manager as “one of the best to do it”.
The 21-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge from Borussia Dortmund in a £52m deal last summer, but a difficult first year saw him struggle to make a consistent impact.
When asked if Alonso had confirmed he was in his plans for the upcoming campaign, Gittens gave a clear response: “Yeah.”
“He just wants me to keep being positive, to keep taking on players, to keep creating chances and to keep pushing myself to the maximum,” Gittens said, adding that Alonso’s background as a world-class midfielder with Real Madrid and Liverpool commands instant respect in the dressing room.
Gittens previously faced Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side during his time in the Bundesliga—a campaign where Leverkusen claimed an unbeaten domestic double.
“It was really hard,” Gittens recalled. “They were really a team.”
Building that level of team cohesion will be a priority for Chelsea, who endured a disappointing campaign last term—finishing 10th in the Premier League, missing out on European qualification, and ending the season without silverware.
Despite the setbacks, Gittens remains optimistic about the club’s trajectory. He believes high-profile arrivals, including £117m record signing Morgan Rogers, will help lift standards as the club aims to compete on all fronts.
On a personal level, the winger is building momentum after recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him during the second half of last season. Having completed a tailored fitness camp in Portugal and Spain, Gittens says he is now “90% fit” and has already scored in both of Alonso’s recent behind-closed-doors pre-season friendlies against Crawley and Bromley.
“It has been hard because this was the first muscle injury I’ve had,” he admitted. “I’m feeling much better, the hamstrings are good. I want to succeed here. I need to show people what I can do—I’ve shown small glimpses, but this season will be a good season.”
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