Revealed: Why Chelsea failed to land Jamie Gittens before Club World Cup as Borussia Dortmund director warns winger won't be sold for less than he's worth amid fresh transfer talks

Chelsea’s offer for Dortmund winger Gittens came at short notice and didn’t give the German club sufficient time to react, Ricken revealed, with no time to find a replacement as the summer competition approached.

Chelsea saw an offer of £42 million ($57m) turned down by Dortmund as it was much lower than their valuation of £50m ($68m) for the player, though it seems the Premier League side are set to come to an agreement over a deal soon.

Ricken commented on the offer from Chelsea, telling Sky: “Of course, there was an offer, but it came at such short notice, meaning we as a club wouldn't have had time to react. In the end, a transfer like this has to be a good fit for all parties – for the player, for the receiving club, and also for us. We're not known for letting our players go for less than they're worth, and that applies to Jamie too.”

Gittens and Dortmund take on Ulsan in a must-win Club World Cup group stage match on Wednesday, after Chelsea take on Esperance Tunis in another crucial game.