'I would politely decline': Aston Villa and Tottenham told £40m not enough for Heung-Min Son replacement
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A word of warning to Premier League quartet Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa; If you are thinking about making a bid of £40 million, well, stop thinking about it.
The managing director, by his own admission, is not quite irascible enough to slam down the phone after bellowing a firm ‘no’ down the line.
But a ‘no thank you’ and a ‘goodbye’? That is more in keeping with the way Lars Ricken tends to do business at Borussia Dortmund.
TBR have been told that pretty much every one of the Premier League’s big hitters have been watching young Jamie Gittens closely during what is turning into a genuine breakout season in yellow and black. Arsenal and Liverpool like the England Under 21 international.
Tottenham perhaps see Gittens as a Heung-Min Son replacement for the long-term. And Aston Villa would also consider bringing Gittens, who spent time at Reading, Chelsea and latterly Manchester City before moving to Germany, back to England.
Dortmund would reject £40m for Arsenal and Aston Villa target Jamie Gittens
With the Berkshire-born 20-year-old building up quite the collection of stellar displays, Gittens’ electrifying performances are increasingly reminiscent of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho’s early days at the Signal Iduna Park.
TBR have been told, meanwhile, that Dortmund would look for a similar fee to the one Manchester United paid to bring Sancho to Old Trafford in 2021. A fee just over £70 million.
So, when Dortmund’s managing director was asked by SportBILD how he would respond if he receives an offer of £40 million in the New Year, it’s no wonder Ricken plans to keep the conversation short.
“I wouldn’t hang up immediately because that would not be in keeping with my character,” Ricken explains. “But I would politely decline.”
Gittens had his moments last term, coming off the bench in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
In the opening months of 2024/25, however, the Man City academy graduate has evolved from a promising young forward into an almost talismanic attacking force. The quicksilver left-winger has scored nine goals already under Nuri Sahin.
A season which started with a pair of sumptuous solo strikes against Eintracht Frankfurt has seen Gittens find the net against both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
As Dortmund moved three points closer to the Champions League knockout stages with a 3-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb, meanwhile, Gittens cut in from the wing and fizzed home the sort of curling finish that is rapidly becoming something of a trademark finisher move.
Liverpool linked Jamie Gittens could stay in the Bundesliga for a while
Dortmund have long since established themselves as elite developers of young talent. A reputation Gittens is continuing.
Of course, the likes of Sancho, Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Mats Hummels, Mario Gotze and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all departed over the years, with Gittens likely to join this superstar collection at some point down the line.
Though, with a contract running until 2028, Dortmund are in no rush to agree anything.
“We are in a challenging situation and want to develop further in terms of sport. In principle, we want to keep players of such high quality for longer,” Ricken explains. “This also applies to Jamie, who has a long-term contract.”
