Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens has expressed optimism that the recent British-record signing of Morgan Rogers can help the club return to winning ways after a difficult previous season. Rogers, 24, joined Chelsea from Aston Villa last week in a deal reportedly worth £117 million, making him the most expensive British player in history. The club also secured the signing of French centre-back Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace for £52 million as part of a broader effort to strengthen the squad.
Gittens, 21, who spent part of his youth career alongside Rogers in the England Under-21 setup, welcomed the new competition for starting places on the left wing. Despite having had a challenging first season at Chelsea due to a hamstring injury sustained in January, Gittens is preparing for a strong campaign and sees Rogers’ arrival as a positive influence on the team’s ambitions.
“We want to win everything,” Gittens said. “That is our ambition, to win the Premier League, the FA Cup and win anything that we’re in. Bringing in a player like Morgan will hopefully raise the bar to win titles.” He highlighted the quality present in the squad and the importance of translating that into collective success.
Chelsea are currently undertaking a pre-season tour across Australia and parts of Asia, including stops in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The team played in front of approximately 4,500 fans at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, where Gittens trained ahead of their friendly matches against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.
Rogers, who celebrated his 24th birthday during the World Cup break, is set to join the squad after their tour concludes and will be working under new manager Xabi Alonso, who took charge of the team following a disappointing campaign that ended with the club outside European qualification spots.
Gittens praised Alonso’s approach, describing him as a world-class midfielder and tactician who provides individual guidance to players aimed at improvement. “He’s told me to keep being positive, to keep taking on players, to keep creating chances and to keep pushing myself to the maximum,” Gittens said.
After completing his recovery from injury, Gittens has been focusing on regaining fitness with solo training sessions in Portugal and Marbella and recently scored in two behind-closed-doors friendlies at Chelsea’s Cobham training base.
Despite the competitive environment, Gittens emphasized concentrating on his own development rather than comparing himself to others, including the departure of winger Alejandro Garnacho, who returned to Aston Villa following a single season with Chelsea.
With Rogers and other new signings arriving, Chelsea aim to overcome last season’s struggles and contend for major trophies under Alonso’s leadership. Gittens remains determined to contribute to this goal and expects the upcoming season to be a significant one for both himself and the club.