Jamie Gittens to Leave Dortmund This Summer?
One of the things that Borussia Dortmund have been excellent at in recent years is the development of talent. Although the club has struggled to win silverware at the same rate as they did when Jürgen Klopp was the manager, they have been able to bring young players in and turn them into world-beaters.
From the likes of Erling Haaland to Jude Bellingham via Christian Pulisic and Jadon Sancho, there have been any number of players who have made their way through the ranks at BVB. Now it looks as though Jamie Gittens will be next on the list, with the English winglet linked away.
His Time at the Westfalenstadion
Born in the English town of Reading, Jamie Gittens began playing for the local side Caversham Trents when he was just five-years-old. He then entered the Reading youth system before heading to London in order to become part of the Chelsea Academy. From there he returned to Reading prior to joining Manchester City’s youth setup, spending two years working with the team at the Cityzens.
In 2020 he joined Borussia Dortmund, moving to Germany at a time when the world was effectively shutting down thanks to the global health crisis that was engulfing everyone.
@nextlevelballers1 Baller😳#jamiegittens ♬ Kitchen Stove – Pozer
This obviously hampered Gittens’ initial chances to get to know his teammates, which was then made worse by the tearing of a ligament that saw him kept out of training for a number of months.
By the time the 2021-2022 season came about, however, he was much more settled and some notable performances in the UEFA Youth League saw him gain recognition with the Dortmund coaches. He scored six goals in four games, including a brace against Manchester United, which meant that Marco Rose didn’t hesitate to call him up to the first-team squad for some matches.
Jamie Gittens is the only U20 player with more than 6 G/A this Bundesliga season.
He has 11. pic.twitter.com/1jQbihJ0CA
— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) April 5, 2025
His Bundesliga debut came against VfL Wolfsburg on the 16th of April 2022 when he appeared in the 6-1 demolition. His first goal in the competition came on the 12th of August that year, scoring against SC Freiburg, and four days later he signed a new contract that would keep him at the club until June 2025.
Having made his Champions League debut as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Chelsea in February 2023, he scored his first goal in the tournament as well as providing an assist in a 3-1 win over Milan, later coming on as a sub in the final at Wembley, which Dortmund lost.
Wants to Leave the Club
In spite of being given the chance to flourish at the Westfalenstadion, Jamie Gittens has reportedly told the club’s hierarchy that he wants to be allowed to leave in the summer. There will doubtless be a sense from some at Dortmund that they might be best to cut their losses, given the fact that the 2023-2024 season was his first that wasn’t impacted by injuries.
Obviously, he is still young, not turning 21 until August 2025, but there will still be some concerns over his ability to get onto the football pitch. He has reservations of his own over remaining at Signal Iduna Park, however.
The Englishman is concerned about the path that Der BVB appear to be on, given the fact that they have lost 11 times already this season and currently sit in eighth place. It means that there is almost certainly not going to be Champions League football available for him, whereas he will be able to get that at whichever club he ends up moving to.
He will be aware of the fact that he will have his fair share of suitors, so it makes sense for him to want to get out of the club rather than sign a long-term contract that will see him earn more money but not compete for immediate honours.
Bayern, Chelsea, Liverpool & Others Linked
Unsurprisingly, one of the first clubs whose name comes up when discussing links to Jamie Gittens is Bayern Munich. The reigning and perennial German champions tend to keep themselves at the top of the game by buying up any and all talent that has appeared elsewhere in the Bundesliga.
They may not have everything their own way this time around, however, on account of the fact that a number of English clubs are also being linked with a move for him. Liverpool are aware that Mohamed Salah is coming to the end of his career, for example, so they’re looking for a possible replacement for him.
🇩🇪⚽️🏆 Borussia Dortmund are bracing for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens’ summer exit, with the winger reportedly expecting a transfer. Chelsea and Bayern Munich are among the top suitors, while Man United, Liverpool, and Spurs have also been linked. No formal offers have arrived yet. #BVB
— Talk Football (@talkfootball.bsky.social) 4 March 2025 at 14:59
Elsewhere, Chelsea have been ‘doing a Dortmund’ by buying any half-decent player with a pulse, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Londoners enter the race for Gittens’ signature. In fact, a quick search of the player’s name will show you that he is being linked with pretty much every major club in Europe, as well as Manchester United.
Dortmund had initially hoped to get as much as €100 million for him, but the fact that he has made it clear to Der BVB’s management that he wants to leave in the summer means that he is likely to go for a lot less than that.
