Chelsea's Ambition: Gittens on Titles and Competition
On a bright winter morning in Sydney, the message from Chelsea’s camp cut through the usual pre-season noise. This is not a club talking about transition. This is a club talking about titles.
And for Jamie Gittens, the man they brought from Borussia Dortmund for £48.5 million, the symbol of that ambition now has a name and a price tag: Morgan Rogers, £117 million from Aston Villa, a British record and a statement aimed squarely at the rest of the Premier League.
“We want to win everything – that is our ambition, to win the Premier League, the FA Cup and win anything that we’re in,” Gittens said on tour. “Bringing in a player like Morgan will hopefully raise the bar to win titles. He’s a top player. That’s all I can say. He’s just an amazing player.”
It is a striking stance from a 21-year-old whose own place in the pecking order has just become even more precarious. Chelsea’s attacking unit is already crowded. Now a £117m forward has walked through the door. For some, that spells trouble. For Gittens, it sounds like an invitation.
“Our quality is there, for sure,” he insisted. “As a team we have individuals on the pitch who can do amazing things but we have to try and put that together. The squad is very competitive. We have to keep working hard and showing what we’re made of. Everyone is very positive, looking forward to the new season and to be better and to succeed, which is the main thing.”
Alonso changes the temperature
The mood music at Stamford Bridge has shifted, and not just because of big-money arrivals. The appointment of Alonso as head coach has jolted the club awake. Gittens felt it before he even walked into the first meeting room.
He had already seen the Spaniard’s work up close. Dortmund ran into Alonso’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen side in Germany, and the memory still stings.
“That was hard! Because of the system, I’d say,” Gittens recalled. “It was a back three as well. They had Florian Wirtz, they had Jeremie Frimpong and, Amine Adli when we came off the bench sometimes, they had Piero Hincapie. Granit Xhaka as well. They were a real team.”
That word – “team” – is the one Alonso has carried with him into Cobham. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder, who dictated games at the highest level, is now trying to shape a fractured, expensive squad into something coherent and ruthless.
“He was obviously a top player so for him to come in and teach us is the best thing for us,” Gittens said. “A world class midfielder, he’s probably the best to ever do it. He’s a very nice guy. He talks to us individually, speaks to us about what we can improve on, what we can do better. As a player, that’s all you want.
“He’s told me to keep being positive, to keep on taking on players, to keep on creating chances and to keep on pushing myself to the maximum.”
On tour, the players have even had flashes of the old Alonso on the ball. One trademark cross from the touchline was enough to remind everyone why his name still carries weight.
“It’s amazing, really,” Gittens admitted. “He does have a bit of an aura because he was a top player back in the day and obviously a top coach.”
Aura is one thing. Output is another. Gittens knows he has to move from promise to production.
From hamstring heartbreak to hard miles
His first season at Chelsea never really got going. After his £48.5m move from Dortmund in 2025, he struggled for rhythm, then saw his progress snapped by a serious hamstring injury. One goal in 27 appearances, then the season gone.
For a player who had never dealt with a muscle injury before, the shock was as much mental as physical.
“It was hard, because this was the first muscle injury I’ve had. I’ve never had hamstring injuries before,” he said. “It was a challenge at the start, but I’m better now so I feel more confident. I’m feeling much better, more confident now my body is better, the hamstrings are good, so I’m just waiting for the season to start. I have set myself some objectives, individually, that I will keep to myself.”
The response was uncompromising. While others switched off in the summer, Gittens went to work. Portugal. Marbella. A solo training programme built around rebuilding his body and his confidence. No fanfare, no social media documentary. Just hours on the grass and in the gym.
The early signs on this tour suggest it has not been in vain. He has already found the net in pre-season friendlies against Crawley and Bromley, small steps but important ones for a player trying to reset his Chelsea story.
The competition, though, is brutal. Rogers has arrived. Others are pushing. Alonso is demanding intensity and intelligence from every forward. There will be no sentimental selections.
A fight to belong
Chelsea face Western Sydney Wanderers next on Tuesday, another chance for Gittens to force his way into Alonso’s thinking and turn those “glimpses” into something more substantial.
“This is such a big club. I want to succeed here. I need to show people what I can do. I’ll keep working hard,” he said. “I’ve shown glimpses, I would say. Small bits. But this season will be a good season.”
The words are measured, but the stakes are not. For Chelsea, this feels like the start of another bold push for silverware, under a coach whose ideas have already reshaped one club. For Gittens, it feels like something even sharper: a fight to prove he belongs in the era he believes Rogers can help create.
