Gittens Supports Rogers to Spark New Chelsea Era Under Alonso

In the winter sun of Sydney, where pre-season usually feels a world away from the cut-throat edge of the Premier League, Jamie Gittens is talking about titles. Not minutes. Not rehabilitation. Titles.

The Chelsea winger has watched the club smash the British transfer record to land Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117 million, and he sees more than just another attacker in an already crowded room. He sees a statement.

“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.”

That sort of talk used to be routine at Stamford Bridge. In recent seasons, it has sounded more like wishful thinking than expectation. Now, with Rogers arriving for a fee that screams intent and Xabi Alonso installed as head coach, the noise around Chelsea is changing.

New standard, same pressure

Rogers’ arrival tightens the squeeze on Gittens and every other attacker in blue. The competition was already fierce. Now it is ruthless.

“Our quality is there, for sure,” Gittens 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.”

For Gittens, those words carry a different weight. He knows what it feels like to arrive with fanfare and then stall.

Chelsea paid £48.5m to prise him from Borussia Dortmund in 2025, a bold investment in a winger with explosive talent and Champions League pedigree. What followed was a season that never really got started: one goal in 27 appearances, rhythm shattered by a serious hamstring injury that wiped out the end of his campaign.

“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.”

Alonso’s imprint

If Rogers is the headline signing, Alonso is the change of direction.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder has walked into Cobham with an unbeaten Bundesliga title on his CV and a clear idea of how he wants his teams to play. Gittens has seen that up close before. During his Dortmund days, he faced Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side and came away with a lasting impression.

“That was hard! Because of the system, I’d say. 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,” he recalled.

That “real team” is the blueprint Alonso now wants to impose at Chelsea: structure around the ball, intensity without it, and a collective identity that has too often been missing in west London.

For Gittens, Alonso is not just a tactician on a whiteboard.

“He was obviously a top player so for him to come in and teach us is the best thing for us. A world class midfielder, he’s probably the best to ever do it,” Gittens said. “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, Alonso has even reminded his players that the technique never really leaves you. Asked about receiving one of the manager’s trademark crosses, Gittens could only smile.

“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.”

The respect is obvious. So is the opportunity. A coach who values brave, front-foot attackers is telling Gittens, directly, to be exactly that.

A different kind of summer

This pre-season is not just another warm-up for Gittens. It is a reset.

Stung by his stop-start debut year and determined not to be defined by an injury, he spent the summer away from the noise, pushing through a solo training programme in Portugal and Marbella. No cameras, no crowds, just a winger trying to rebuild his body and his confidence.

The early signs are promising. Gittens has already found the net in friendlies against Crawley and Bromley, small steps but important ones in a squad where every position feels up for grabs and every performance is a trial.

“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. The intent is not.

Sydney, then the storm

Chelsea’s next stop on their Australian tour is Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday, another chance for Alonso to refine his ideas and for Gittens to stake his claim before the real business begins.

On one side, a £117m new signing expected to drag the club back towards the top. On the other, a £48.5m winger chasing redemption after a year of frustration.

Both are walking into a dressing room that suddenly feels aligned behind a manager with a clear plan and a reputation that still carries weight when he steps onto the grass.

The friendlies will fade. The quotes will be filed away. What remains is a simple, unforgiving reality: in a Chelsea attack brimming with talent and ambition, only those who turn glimpses into consistency will still be standing when the season reaches its sharp end.