Chelsea are in touch with the representatives of Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, reports in Germany state, over a potential transfer that could have serious ramifications for Jadon Sancho.

20-year-old Gittens has attracted admiring glances from a number of English football’s top teams, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all credited with an interest alongside Chelsea.

The Blues have always been the club most heavily linked – an unfortunate reflection on the quality of options at Enzo Maresca’s disposal despite an embarrassment of riches being spent on transfer fees and wages in recent years.

In the latest development of what’s quickly becoming a saga, Sky Germany report that Chelsea are in talks with Gittens’ representatives over a move to the Premier League and are potentially willing to offer an annual salary in the region of £5m to £6m – double what he’s earning with last season’s beaten Champions League finalists.

Gittens’ prominent role at Dortmund has actually diminished in recent weeks and months – effectively since Niko Kovac took over as manager – but it’s claimed that an exit is not a foregone conclusion despite the player asking to leave. Indeed, Chelsea would need to agree a fee with Dortmund in addition to agreeing personal terms, though the once quoted price of €100m (£86m) no longer stands.

Should Gittens, who followed the same path as Sancho by departing Manchester City for Dortmund, make his way to west London, he could end up taking the place of a player still struggling to recapture his best form.

Sancho’s big-money move to Manchester United has gone horrifically wrong, with his current loan spell at Chelsea not pulling up any trees either. The five-time Premier League winners are, however, obligated to buy the 25-year-old in a deal worth up to £25m – £20m as a standard fee plus £5m in performance related add-ons.

Such has been Sancho’s lack of success, there’s been talk of Chelsea paying a penalty £5m fee to United to break their agreement – whether or not that comes to fruition remains to be seen.

Another option for Chelsea is to sign Sancho permanently and then get rid of him immediately – that’s a scenario that GIVEMESPORT have put forward. Their reports states that Sancho could return to Dortmund for a third spell, in a separate deal to the one that they’re negotiating for Gittens, who has 12 goals and three assists to his name in all competitions.