Gittens Supports Record Signing Rogers to Transform Chelsea Under Alonso

In the winter sun of Sydney, with Chelsea’s pre-season tour still finding its rhythm, one of the club’s youngest forwards is already talking like a man in a hurry.

Jamie Gittens knows exactly what the arrival of Morgan Rogers means. A British record £117 million signing from Aston Villa is not just a transfer; it is a statement, a challenge and, for players in his position, a direct threat.

He welcomes 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. 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,” Gittens said on tour.

Chelsea’s attacking department is already crowded. Rogers makes it even more ruthless. For some, that would be a problem. For Gittens, it is exactly the environment he believes can turn potential into medals.

“Our quality is there, for sure, 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."

The message is clear: standards are going up. Either you rise with them, or you get left behind.

Alonso’s aura and a tactical education

If Rogers’ fee has grabbed the headlines, the real shift at Stamford Bridge might be standing on the touchline.

The arrival of Xabi Alonso as head coach has jolted the mood of the club. Gittens has already felt the difference. He faced Alonso’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen during his Borussia Dortmund days, and the memory still stings.

“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 recalls.

Those Leverkusen sides were relentless, structured, suffocating without the ball and ruthless with it. Now the man who built that machine is in charge of shaping Chelsea’s identity.

“He [Alonso] 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. 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."

This is not just a big name on the bench. It is daily detail, constant conversation, specific demands. For an attacking player still learning his trade, that kind of tailored feedback is gold.

On tour, Alonso has even reminded his players – and anyone watching – of what he used to be with a ball at his feet. Asked about being on the end of one of those 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 real. So is the expectation.

From hamstring heartbreak to hard reset

Gittens’ first year at Chelsea never really got going.

Signed from Dortmund in 2025 for £48.5m, he arrived with excitement swirling around his name but quickly ran into a brutal introduction to English football and its physical demands. A serious hamstring injury shattered his momentum. The numbers tell the story: one goal in 27 appearances before being ruled out for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign.

“It was hard, because this was the first muscle injury I’ve had. I’ve never had hamstring injuries before. 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," he said.

Instead of disappearing over the summer, he went to work. Portugal. Marbella. A solo training programme built around rebuilding trust in his body and sharpening the tools that had dulled during months on the sidelines.

No fanfare. No public targets. Just private goals and long days.

The early signs are promising. Gittens has already found the net in pre-season friendlies against Crawley and Bromley, the kind of fixtures that rarely make headlines but often shape managers’ decisions when the real football starts.

The pressure finally told in those games, not on him, but on defenders who had underestimated his sharpness.

Fighting for a place in a ruthless attack

This season offers Gittens something rare at a club of Chelsea’s size: a genuine shot at redemption.

He knows he cannot live off potential any more. Not with a record signing like Rogers walking through the door. Not with Alonso demanding intensity, intelligence and end product from every forward in his squad.

“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. I’ve shown glimpses, I would say. Small bits. But this season will be a good season."

The competition will be fierce. That is the point. Chelsea are not building a team to compete for fourth place. Their own players are talking about winning “everything” – the Premier League, the FA Cup, every competition they enter.

Next up on tour is Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday, another chance for Gittens to turn those glimpses into something more convincing, another chance to show Alonso he can be trusted when the games start to matter.

The new era at Stamford Bridge will be defined by big names and big fees. The real question is who, from this crowded dressing room, will force their way into the core of it.