Dietmar Hamann has urged one of Enzo Maresca’s top summer transfer targets to reject Chelsea in favour of a move to Manchester United.
Chelsea made England U21 striker Liam Delap their first summer signing in a £30m deal from Ipswich Town.
Maresca is keen to strengthen his squad in several other areas and has identified Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens as a top target.
Gittens, 20, has a brief spell at Stamford Bridge as a youth player before being signed by Dortmund in 2020.
The fellow England U21 star has since made over 100 appearances for Dortmund and was one of the most in-form players in the Bundesliga during the first-half of last season.
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Gittens’ form tailed away in the second-half of the campaign but Chelsea are nevertheless determined to welcome him to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Chelsea view Gittens as an ideal replacement for Jadon Sancho, who they sent back to Manchester United for a price of £5m after failing to agree terms over a permanent transfer.
Borussia Dortmund have already rejected two bids from Chelsea and want a fee as close as possible to Gittens’ £50.5m release clause.
Ex-Germany midfielder Hamann expects Gittens to be on the move this summer but believes he should reject Chelsea in favour of a move to Manchester United.
Like Maresca, Ruben Amorim is also keen to sign a new winger this summer as he prepares to offload Marcus Rashford, Sancho and Antony.
Given the number of winger departures at Old Trafford, Hamann says Gittens could ‘make a real difference’ at Manchester United, who finished just 15th in the Premier League last season.
‘Borussia Dortmund has been a great place for Jamie Gittens,’ Hamann told InstantWithdrawalBettingSites.
‘He played a huge role and scored goals and got assists but that stopped when [Dortmund manager] Niko Kovac came in.
‘Chelsea will be fully aware of that, the player has made it clear he wants to leave but he is under contract.
‘I would say that Dortmund are not in the strongest position because the manager wants hardworking players and Gittens isn’t that type of player.
‘I think he will leave Dortmund but they won’t get the money they want.
‘Chelsea have an abundance of players, but I think he could make a real difference at Manchester United. He is young but he has stood out and I think that might be the player for them to chase.’
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