TA: Bayern chases Wiltz first and leads to missing Gittens, Chelsea chooses the latter and successfully signs him

The Athletic wrote an article reporting the transfer inside story of England winger Gittens, who has now transferred to Chelsea: Bayern was a major variable in this transfer, but they chose to chase Wilz first this summer, resulting in the end missing Gittens's deal. Chelsea made Gittens the first choice for the transfer and successfully signed the player.

One of Chelsea's primary goals from the beginning was to introduce a right-footed left winger and has been paying attention to Gittens since 2023. They view Gittens as their top pick, ahead of many goals like Nico Williams. Chelsea maintained a good relationship with Dortmund and had several negotiations before finally reaching an agreement on Gittens' transfer.

The only major threat in the process is Bayern Munich. Bayern's interest in Gittens fluctuated and was disturbed by a series of factors. At the end of 2024, Bayern publicly expressed his interest in the players. But Gittens was never their final choice, more like one of many options.

At the same time, Wilz's final transfer to Liverpool also affected Bayern's transfer plan. Although Wilz eventually joined Liverpool for £116 million, Bayern's transfer fee was originally higher than that. The reason why the transfer was not reached was that Bayern publicly announced his intention to sign Wiltz, which angered Leverkusen.

Secondly, Bayern was originally full of confidence in signing Wilz, which in turn affected the team's lineup planning, which once weakened their interest in Gittens and other wingers who were paying attention.

When the news of Werz's transfer to Liverpool gradually became clear, Bayern had no time to make changes. Their first choice is Nico Williams (annored to renew his contract with Athletic Bilbao for 10 years), and is still paying attention to Milan's Leo. Gittens is also on the shortlist.

In the weeks since the transfer was finalized (Gettens went to Chelsea) there was no formal contact between Bayern and Dortmund. Bayern contacted Gittens's team directly, but the latter made it clear that it had reached an agreement with Chelsea, and Gittens promised to transfer to Chelsea.

Chelsea's appeal is self-evident: a Premier League club that competes in the Champions League. For players who want to be selected for the England team coached by Tuchel and compete in the 2026 World Cup, transferring to Chelsea is undoubtedly a logical move. This is a major move for Gittens's career.