Chelsea ‘lay out fresh Jamie Gittens transfer demands after rejecting Roma’s £37million loan-to-buy bid’

CHELSEA have reportedly slammed the door on a proposed Jamie Gittens move to Roma unless the Italians improve their offer. According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Roma tried to tempt Chelsea with a loan deal worth around £2.6million upfront, plus a potential permanent fee of around £34.5million. Gittens is hoping to get more minutes at Chelsea this season Credit: Alamy Chelsea will only let Gittens go at the right price for them Credit: Getty Images But Chelsea are said to have rejected the proposal and want greater guarantees on their investment in the Englishman. The Blues reportedly want an obligation to buy, rather than an option, while also demanding improved financial terms for a player they signed from Borussia Dortmund for £52m last summer. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Gittens, 22, endured a frustrating second half of last season after a hamstring injury ruled him out for the final four months of the campaign. Before that setback, he had struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge, scoring just once in 27 appearances. He could find opportunities even harder to come by this season after Chelsea splashed £117m on Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. With the likes of Cole Palmer, Estevao, Pedro Neto, Valentin Barco and Geovany Quenda also competing for attacking places, another loan could yet make sense for Gittens – but Chelsea clearly don’t want to simply give him away. The return of Mykhailo Mudryk is another talking point, though Leeds are showing interest in the Ukranian. The youngster himself insisted last month that he wants to make his Stamford Bridge move work. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Gittens (left) alongside Estevao (right) got minutes under their belts in pre-season Credit: Getty Gittens said: “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.” Gittens also revealed that new Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso offered him some helpful advice. Gittens will be hoping to re-discover his Dortmund form this season Credit: Getty The former Dortmund star added: “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 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.” Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign tonight against Fulham at Craven Cottage, with kick-off at 8pm. Comment now