Gittens keen to impress 'world-class' Alonso

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reported that Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens expects to be part of new manager Xabi Alonso’s squad next season and is eager to make a stronger impression after a difficult first year at Stamford Bridge. The 21-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in a deal reported at £52m last summer, said Alonso has encouraged him to stay positive, attack defenders, create opportunities and keep pushing his level.

Gittens praised Alonso’s standing in the game, pointing to his playing career with clubs including Real Madrid and Liverpool, and said Chelsea’s players respect him as a former world-class midfielder. He also recalled facing Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen while in Germany, describing them as a highly cohesive side. Leverkusen won the Bundesliga and German Cup in Alonso’s first full season in charge.

The report frames team unity as an important issue for Chelsea after a disappointing campaign in which they finished 10th in the Premier League, missed out on European qualification and ended without silverware. Gittens said new arrivals, including Morgan Rogers, whom he knows from Manchester City’s academy, can help raise standards, while maintaining that Chelsea’s ambition is to compete for every trophy.

Gittens is also working back from a January hamstring injury that cut into the latter part of his season. BBC Sport said he has scored in Alonso’s first two behind-closed-doors matches against Crawley and Bromley, and Gittens described himself as close to full fitness after off-season training in Portugal and Spain.