Chelsea’s investment in young wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens has yet to deliver the returns many expected, with the pair managing just seven goals and eight assists between them since their summer arrivals.
The Blues spent £40million on Garnacho from Manchester United and an initial £48.5m on Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, but both 21-year-olds have struggled to establish themselves as regular starters under new manager Liam Rosenior.
Limited game time under Rosenior
Since Rosenior took charge on January 6, both players have found minutes hard to come by in their preferred left-wing position. The manager has often turned to Pedro Neto and even midfielder Enzo Fernandez on the left flank instead.
Premier League minutes on the left under Rosenior tell a clear story:
· Enzo Fernandez: 180 minutes
· Pedro Neto: 162 minutes
· Alejandro Garnacho: 86 minutes
· Jamie Gittens: 50 minutes
Gittens’ situation comes with an important caveat. He had only played seven games under Rosenior before suffering a hamstring injury, and in that time he started just twice, both times on the right wing rather than the left.
Garnacho has been available throughout Rosenior’s 12 games in charge but has started only five matches, mostly in cup competitions. He has come off the bench four times and been an unused substitute on three occasions.
Different problems for different players
Rosenior defended both players when asked about them recently.
“Jamie showed really promising signs,” he said. “Unfortunately, he got injured against West Ham. Garna showed some really good things in my time. He scored two goals versus Arsenal really, really early in my start here. He is a very, very good player.”
The manager explained that his tactical approach favours players who can drop deeper to help build play and combine in tight spaces. Both Fernandez and Cole Palmer have shared duties across the No.10 and left-wing positions, rotating during games to keep opponents guessing.
Garnacho’s main issue appears to be overconfidence. The Argentina international is very goal-focused and has the confidence to cut inside and shoot, but this often leads to him losing possession when team-mates are in better positions.
Gittens faces the opposite problem. Sources close to the player say he had no contact with previous manager Enzo Maresca before his move from Dortmund, with the transfer driven by the club rather than the head coach. This has created some uncertainty about his role.
Difficult start for Gittens
Gittens also faced an unusual disadvantage before even kicking a ball for Chelsea. He made a brief 13-minute appearance for Dortmund in the Club World Cup, which made him ineligible to play for Chelsea during their run to winning that trophy.
This prevented him from building rhythm with new team-mates and making an early impression. Chelsea’s own participation in the tournament also shortened their pre-season, squeezing his preparation time.
The winger worked hard on his fitness privately during the summer and has continued to build muscle since the season began. But the combination of factors has made the already difficult transition from the Bundesliga to the Premier League even harder.
His confidence appears affected. In his last appearances before injury, against West Ham and Napoli, he was mostly passing backwards or sideways rather than running at defenders, a stark contrast to his time at Dortmund, where he attempted more dribbles per game than any player in the German league.
His best performance came in the Carabao Cup win at Wolves, where he assisted twice and scored once. But he has not been able to build a run of games to maintain that confidence.
Senior players stepping up
Meanwhile, Neto and Fernandez have both recorded their best-ever goalscoring seasons for Chelsea. They are the club’s second and third most-used outfield players, showing how they have improved their decision-making and confidence.
Neto has proven most productive when playing from the left, even though his preferred foot is his right, while Fernandez has shown he can deputise across multiple positions.
Rosenior has understandably leaned on their versatility while the younger players struggle to make an impression. Both Garnacho and Gittens have seven-year contracts, giving them plenty of time to develop and settle at the club.
The difficulty, as Chelsea are discovering, is that price tags of £40million and £48.5m do not encourage patience from supporters even for players who are only 21 years old.