Morgan Rogers and Jamie Gittens: Chelsea's Ambitious New Era

Morgan Rogers has not kicked a competitive ball for Chelsea yet, but in Sydney he is already being spoken about as the man who can drag the club into a new era.

Jamie Gittens, still fighting to truly announce himself at Stamford Bridge, is convinced the British-record £117 million signing from Aston Villa is the statement this restless squad needed.

“We want to win everything – that is our ambition, to win the Premier League, the FA Cup and win anything that we’re in,” Gittens said on tour. “Bringing in a player like Morgan will hopefully raise the bar to win titles. He’s a top player. That’s all I can say. He’s just an amazing player.”

That is the tone around Chelsea now: unapologetically ambitious, and suddenly louder about it. Rogers’ arrival only thickens an already crowded attacking department, yet Gittens sounds energised, not threatened.

“Our quality is there, for sure,” he insisted. “As a team we have individuals on the pitch who can do amazing things but we have to try and put that together. The squad is very competitive. We have to keep working hard and showing what we’re made of. Everyone is very positive, looking forward to the new season and to be better and to succeed, which is the main thing.”

Alonso’s imprint – from opponent to architect

The mood swing at Chelsea is not just about a record transfer. It has a touchline face now.

The arrival of Alonso as head coach has changed the atmosphere around Cobham and on this pre-season tour, and Gittens has already felt the difference. He knows exactly what an Alonso team looks like when it is humming; he spent time chasing shadows against the Spaniard’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen while at Borussia Dortmund.

“That was hard! Because of the system, I’d say,” Gittens recalled. “It was a back three as well. They had Florian Wirtz, they had Jeremie Frimpong and, Amine Adli when we came off the bench sometimes, they had Piero Hincapie. Granit Xhaka as well. They were a real team.”

That memory lingers. So does the respect.

“He [Alonso] was obviously a top player so for him to come in and teach us is the best thing for us. A world class midfielder, he’s probably the best to ever do it. He’s a very nice guy. He talks to us individually, speaks to us about what we can improve on, what we can do better. As a player, that’s all you want.

“He’s told me to keep being positive, to keep on taking on players, to keep on creating chances and to keep on pushing myself to the maximum.”

The messages are detailed, personal, relentless. And then there is the aura. On this tour, Alonso has not just stayed on the touchline; he has still found time to whip in the sort of cross that defined his playing career, a reminder to his squad of the level he once operated at.

“It’s amazing, really,” Gittens admitted. “He does have a bit of an aura because he was a top player back in the day and obviously a top coach.”

From hamstring heartbreak to a harder edge

For Gittens, this all lands at a delicate moment in his own Chelsea story.

Since his £48.5m move from Dortmund in 2025, the winger has known more frustration than fulfilment. A serious hamstring injury cut through his debut campaign, stripping away rhythm and confidence. He finished the 2025-26 season with just one goal in 27 appearances before being ruled out for the rest of the year.

“It was hard, because this was the first muscle injury I’ve had,” he said. “I’ve never had hamstring injuries before. It was a challenge at the start, but I’m better now so I feel more confident. I’m feeling much better, more confident now my body is better, the hamstrings are good, so I’m just waiting for the season to start. I have set myself some objectives, individually, that I will keep to myself.”

The response to that setback was telling. While others switched off in the summer, Gittens went looking for an edge. Portugal. Marbella. A solo programme designed to rebuild a body and reset a career. No noise, no fanfare, just hard work away from the cameras.

Now, early in pre-season, there are flickers of the player Chelsea thought they were buying. Goals in friendlies against Crawley and Bromley have not changed his status overnight, but they have reopened the conversation. The competition for places in Alonso’s front line will be unforgiving. That is exactly how Gittens wants it.

A fight to belong

For all the talk of systems and structures, some truths at Chelsea remain brutally simple. This is a club that expects to win, and a dressing room that can swallow players whole if they do not impose themselves quickly enough.

“This is such a big club. I want to succeed here,” Gittens said. “I need to show people what I can do. I’ll keep working hard. I’ve shown glimpses, I would say. Small bits. But this season will be a good season.”

The next test comes on Tuesday against Western Sydney Wanderers, another pre-season marker, another chance to convince Alonso he belongs in the core group rather than on the fringes.

Rogers’ record fee, Alonso’s tactical authority, a squad packed with attacking talent – all of it raises the bar. For Gittens, that is not a warning. It is an invitation.