Opinion: BVB’s Jamie Gittens should avoid jumping to the Premier League too soon

With reported interest from a variety of Premier League clubs including Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs, Jamie Gittens future has become a topic of conversation. The English winger has had a very strong start to his campaign, scoring 4 goals and providing one assist across the Bundesliga and Champions League, which makes the garnered interest from English clubs unsurprising. 

As with most English players, it’s safe to assume that Gittens does plan on playing in the Premier League at some point; it’s more a question of when than if, especially if we take the trajectory of players like Jadon Sancho into account. When Gittens chooses to make the jump will be a critical decision however, and Sancho's tale in particular is a cautionary one.

With the player just 20 at the time of writing, he’s still rather young and moving to a team like Chelsea for example puts his minutes in significant doubt, whereas his performances at Dortmund have pushed him closer and closer to solidifying a place in the starting 11 week in week out. The player also signed a contract until 2028 last season, which makes one think that Gittens isn’t in a rush in terms of making a decision. 

At Dortmund, the availability of an almost assured platform to showcase his skill set and significant minutes on the pitch are the aspects that work in favor of a more long-term stay. With most of his young career ahead of him, there’s ample time for Gittens to develop and make a move once he a more polished plays closer to the age of 24-25 for example. 

Gittens successful mastery of the German language also makes one think that he’s not only comfortable but prepared to be here for the long haul. It would be in the player’s best interest to remain at a club where minutes on the pitch are at the forefront of focus and importance for the player, something that Dortmund can offer that the other potentially interested parties cannot.