Gittens Supports Record Signing Rogers in New Chelsea Era
In the Sydney winter sun, with pre-season still finding its rhythm, Jamie Gittens did not sound like a man worried about his place in the team. He sounded like a man who believes Chelsea are about to change gear.
At the heart of that belief is Morgan Rogers. Chelsea’s British record £117 million signing from Aston Villa has barely walked through the door and already carries the weight of a new era on his shoulders. Gittens is not shying away from that. He is embracing it.
“We want to win everything – that is our ambition, to win the Premier League, the FA Cup and win anything that we’re in,” he said on tour in Sydney. “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.”
Those are not the words of a player intimidated by a crowded attacking department. Chelsea’s forward line is stacked, minutes will be scarce, and yet Gittens sees opportunity, not threat. The message from the 21-year-old is clear: raise the level or get left behind.
“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’s aura and a tactical reset
If Rogers is the headline signing, Xabi Alonso is the cultural reset. The Spaniard’s arrival as head coach has jolted the mood at Stamford Bridge, and Gittens has already felt the difference.
He knows exactly what an Alonso team looks like from the other side. During his time at Borussia Dortmund, he faced Alonso’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen machine and came away with a deep respect for the man now shaping his Chelsea future.
“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 telling. Leverkusen’s cohesion, their structure, their relentlessness, left a mark. Now Gittens finds himself on the inside of that philosophy.
“He [Alonso] 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.”
The connection is not just tactical. It is personal. Alonso’s reputation as one of the great midfield conductors of his generation still follows him onto the training pitch, and Gittens has felt that presence up close.
Asked about being on the end of a trademark Alonso cross during the tour, he smiled: “It’s amazing, really. He does have a bit of an aura because he was a top player back in the day and obviously a top coach.”
For a young winger trying to rebuild his career after a difficult first year in London, that sort of guidance matters.
From hamstring heartbreak to hard reset
Gittens’ first season at Chelsea never really got going. Signed from Dortmund in 2025 for £48.5 million, he arrived with excitement and expectation, but his campaign quickly frayed.
He scored only once in 27 appearances, struggled to find rhythm, and then the hammer blow: a serious hamstring injury that wiped out the rest of his 2025-26 season. For a player who had never previously suffered a muscle problem, it was a jarring introduction to the unforgiving side of English football.
“It was hard, because this was the first muscle injury I’ve had. I’ve never had hamstring injuries before,” he admitted. “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 telling. Instead of disappearing into the background over the summer, Gittens went to work. Portugal, Marbella, and a solo training programme designed to make sure there are no excuses this time.
No fanfare. No social media declarations. Just the quiet grind of a player who knows he cannot afford another lost year at a club of Chelsea’s scale.
Fighting for a place in a ruthless attack
Now, in pre-season, the first signs of that work are starting to show. Gittens has already found the net in early friendlies against Crawley and Bromley, small steps but important ones in the battle for Alonso’s trust.
The competition is brutal. Rogers’ record arrival adds another elite talent to an already packed attacking unit. Every training session is an audition. Every friendly, a referendum on who will survive when the real games start.
Gittens is under no illusions.
“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 next chance to underline that comes on Tuesday, when Chelsea face Western Sydney Wanderers in their latest pre-season outing. For some, it is just another tour match. For Gittens, it is another step in a personal redemption story and a broader club reset built around Alonso and the weighty figure of Rogers.
Chelsea have talked about new eras before. This one will be defined not just by record fees and big names, but by whether players like Gittens can turn “glimpses” into something lasting.
