Fenerbahce release furious statement amid surprise links to Chelsea star

Fenerbahce have released a statement angrily denying rumours that the club are interested in signing Chelsea star Jamie Gittens.

Gittens had been linked to a potential move to the Turkish giants this summer, only a year since arriving in the Premier League.

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The English winger made 27 appearances for the Blues after joining from Borussia Dortmund for a £51.5million total fee.

But after a tough first season at Stamford Bridge, talk of a switch to Turkey arose and started to spread on social media.

That was something that Fenerbahce had also gotten wind of – and they made sure to put an end to any links instantly.

They released a statement on Saturday to deny any interest in Gittens, slamming the ‘false’ claims regarding the player.

Fenerbahce’s angry statement

“Reports circulating in some media outlets today regarding our club’s interest in Chelsea FC player Jamie Gittens are completely unfounded and do not reflect the truth,” Fenerbahce wrote.

“We once again clearly state that attempts to manipulate Fenerbahçe Sports Club through false transfer claims and artificially created agendas will have no effect.

“Fenerbahçe conducts its sporting structure, transfer policy, and future planning in all branches, especially football, in accordance with its own strategy, needs, and established programs.

“Therefore, we expect this approach of using our club’s name to create public opinion and steer Fenerbahçe towards certain directions to cease.

“Our sole focus right now is our match against Gençlerbirliği in the first week of the Trendyol Super League.

“We respectfully request that our great Fenerbahçe fans disregard such unfounded news and continue their support for our teams only by considering the statements made through our club’s official channels.”

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Gittens’ Chelsea stats

Gittens’ time as a Chelsea player has not gone how he would have wanted after making his big-money move from Germany.

In his 27 appearances last season, he only scored one goal and provided five assists across all competitions.

His tough first year at Stamford Bridge was interrupted by injury, as he missed more than 100 days with a hamstring issue.

He sat out of 22 games for the Blues in total, with his last competitive appearance for the club coming on January 31.

New manager Xabi Alonso certainly has a decision to make on the future of Gittens heading into the new campaign.

But he appears to be a fan of the 22-year-old, playing him in five of Chelsea’s six pre-season friendlies so far this summer.

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Gittens has one goal and one assist to his name under Alonso, showing that he can make an impact.

And after links to Fenerbahce were spectacularly shut down, he could feature in the squad for Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday, August 24.

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