Chelsea may not secure the signing of Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens until later in the summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Blues were hoping to have the England Under-21 international in the squad for the Club World Cup, but writing on his X account, Romano says that is “not guaranteed”.

Unlike with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, though, they are not expected to walk away from negotiations, with there still being hope that an agreement can be reached.

While Gittens may not be with Enzo Maresca’s side when they travel out to the United States later this week, a move to Stamford Bridge is still a possibility.

Chelsea and Dortmund are not too far apart on the price

It is believed that the Blues’ opening bid was €35m (£30m), which is below Gittens’s asking price of around €50m (£42m).

The €15m (£12.7m) gap is not insurmountable and a compromise could yet be found, but based on Romano’s remarks, an agreement is not expected before the first transfer deadline on Tuesday evening.

Alternatives to Gittens have been considered

While a move for Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams has now been ruled out, the club are still keeping tabs on other wingers. Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus are under consideration.

However, you would have to say that Kudus would not be a great fit. He is left-footed and prefers to play on the right wing or through the middle.

Garnacho, like Gittens, is at his best when cutting in onto his stronger right foot from the left flank. You can compare the two players (along with Rodrygo) in our data analysis from last season here. It gives a telling insight into who would be the best target.

In other news, one of the reasons behind the collapse of Mike Maignan’s move to Chelsea has been revealed