Jamie Bynoe-Gittens: Chelsea’s New Prize-Signing
By: AT
Image Credit: Jannik
“It's worth its weight in gold to have a player like that in the team and we'll be happy if he continues like this,” said then-Borussia Dortmund forward Niklas Füllkrug about former club teammate Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (hereafter referred to as JBG) following a decisive 4-2 comeback-victory against Bundesliga rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach on November 25, 2023.
Less than two years later — and after playing crucial roles in that club’s iconic run to the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League (UCL) final — Füllkrug will be entering his second season at Premier League (EPL) club West Ham United, whereas JBG (the man of honour in this piece) will begin a new chapter at fellow EPL club and local West Ham rivals Chelsea FC. Both clubs are based in JBG’s home city of London, England.
Although JBG joined a top-heavy club that has already completed the signings of such forwards as Joao Pedro from EPL rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and Liam Delap from EFL Championship club Ipswich Town (which were recently relegated from the EPL), JBG brings a unique attacking flair rapid playmaking abilities that can benefit Chelsea immensely.
Early Life & Junior Career
Born on August 8, 2004 in London, England, JBG began playing football at five years old. He played his first two seasons at Reading-based amateur youth club Caversham Trents.
From January 2012, the then-seven-year-old played in the Chelsea youth academy for six months before moving to the academy of then-EPL Reading FC (they currently compete in the EFL League One./English third division). The young forward spent the next six seasons at Reading, making a name for himself throughout the United Kingdom.
In July 2018, as an under-14 player, JBG transferred to the academy of EPL giants Manchester City. He spent the next two seasons there, including the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.
In September 2020, amid the late start to the 2020-21 season, following in fellow English forward Jadon Sancho’s footsteps, the young forward departed City to sign at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund’s U-19 team. This change of scenery would be his last before going professional. His tenure with that club’s U-19 team lasted two seasons, during which he made his first-team debut in April 2022 before signing his first pro contract with that team in July of that year. In addition to his first team debut and three additional Bundesliga appearances, JBG particularly generated headlines in the 2021-22 UEFA Youth League, producing three goals and three assists in six matches.
Going Pro
One month after signing that contract and having just turned 18 years old, in his season debut on August 12 during the second matchday of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season, JBG scored his first professional goal against SC Freiburg in what was only the fifth match of the his career; the match ended in a 3-1 comeback-victory. The Englishman also played a crucial role in then-Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko’s go-ahead goal later in the match. In that same month, JBG signed a contract extension valid through June 2025.
Throughout the 2022-23 season, JBG appeared in 15 Bundesliga matches, contributing three goals and three assists. He also made his first appearances in the DfB Pokal (German cup) and the prestigious UEFA Champions League (UCL). In the Pokal, he appeared in three matches during the club’s run to the quarterfinals, where they lost 2-0 against eventual winners RB Leipzig. In UCL, the English prodigy made his debut during their first-leg match in the round of 16 against Chelsea, which ended in a 1-0 home victory; however, Dortmund lost the second leg 2-0 away — in which JBG also played — and were consequently eliminated from the competition.
The following season, JBG experienced a highly anticipated breakout-season as a playmaker. In 25 Bundesliga matches, he mustered one goal and an impressive six assists. In two DfB Pokal matches, the England youth international appeared in two matches, garnering one assist in their 1-0 second-round win against TSG Hoffenheim; Dortmund were eliminated in the following round (round of 16) after losing 2-0 against VfB Stuttgart.
In 2023-24 UCL action, the then-19-year-old produced one goal and one assist throughout seven appearances, with the goal and assist occurring in the German club’s crucial penultimate group-stage match, a 3-1 victory against Serie A club AC Milan. That match placed The Black and Yellow at the summit of their group, which was that year’s “group of death”. In addition to Milan, Dortmund’s group-stage opponents were EPL club Newcastle United and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Overall, JBG’s on-field contributions helped Dortmund muster an incredible run to the 2023-24 UCL final, defeating (on aggregate) Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven (2-1) in the round of 16, LaLiga heavyweights Atlético Madrid (5-4) in the quarterfinals and PSG (2-0) in the semifinals. However, the German club lost the final 2-0 against Real Madrid, with JBG coming off the bench at the 87th minute.
In 2024-25, the 20-year-old rising star lived up to that name. In 32 Bundesliga matches, JBG produced a staggering eight goals and four assists, a new career high in goal contributions for one season. Two of those eight goals took place in the opening match against league rivals Eintracht Frankfurt, in which he entered the match as a second-half substitute and sealed a 2-0 home victory for The Black and Yellow.
Despite not creating goal contributions throughout his two appearances in the 2024-25 DfB Pokal, the Englishman mustered new career-highs that season in UCL goal contributions, scoring four goals and creating one assist in 14 appearances. Similar to his Bundesliga season debut, a pair of those four UCL goals occurred in Dortmund’s 2024-25 UCL league-stage opening match against Belgian Pro League’s Club Brugge — a 3-0 away victory — in which he also came on as a substitute and won the Man of the Match award. In that UCL edition, the then-defending runners-up competed until the quarterfinals, where they suffered a 5-3 elimination on aggregate against resurgent LaLiga club FC Barcelona.
At the end of the 2024-25 season, JBG travelled with Dortmund to the United States to play in the newly expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Despite becoming a player integral to the club’s success, the Englishman appeared solely as a substitute in their group-stage opener, a scoreless draw against Brazilian Série A club Fluminense FC. The Black and Yellow ultimately mustered a run to the quarterfinals before losing a thrilling 3-2 contest against Real Madrid. During that tournament, however, JBG transferred to Chelsea — where his junior career in football club academies all started and once again following in Sancho’s footsteps — for a staggering €64.3 million transfer fee, excluding add-ons. Due to his sole Club World Cup appearance and arriving at Chelsea after the July 3 deadline, JBG was ineligible to play for The Blues throughout the remainder of that tournament (Chelsea ultimately won the tournament after defeating PSG 3-0 in the final).
International Career
Although JBG still awaits his senior-team debut, he has made a significant impact with England’s youth teams. His experience in England’s youth national teams is the following:
England U-15: five appearances in international friendlies;
England U-16: five appearances in international friendlies, scoring one goal;
England U-18: two appearances in international friendlies;
England U-19: four appearances in the UEFA European U-19 Championship (U-19 Euro); and
England U-21: 11 appearances, 10 in the UEFA European U-21 Championship qualifiers and one in an international friendly, producing one goal and two assists.
Throughout his youth career, JBG played in four of England’s five U-19 Euro matches, which took place in June 2022 in Slovakia. These matches included England’s semifinal and final matches, both of which JBG entered as a substitute and had an impactful presence on the pitch. JBG and England won the semifinal 2-1 against Italy’s U-19 squad and the final in extra-time by a 3-1 score against Israel’s U-19 squad. Thus far, England’s U-19 Euro title represents the sole title to JBG’s name.
Transfer Value
Source: Transfermarkt.
In June 2022, having just played his first four career professional matches, JBG was first valued by Transfermarkt at €4.0 million. Only three months later, after playing a handful more Bundesliga matches, the Englishman’s transfer value ascended to €8.0 million. In March 2023, shortly after making his UCL debut, JBG’s transfer value increased to €14.0 million.
In his second professional season, the then-Dortmund player’s transfer value surged to €18.0 million in October 2023, and then to €28.0 million in December of that year. His second updated valuation occurred in the same month that Dortmund clinched first place in their UCL “group of death”. The Englishman’s transfer value ultimately remained unchanged until the end of the 2023-24 season, when Dortmund became UCL finalists.
In October 2024 — the beginning of the 2024-25 UCL campaign and JBG’s masterful performance against Club Brugge — the 20-year-old’s transfer value expanded to €35.0 million. Finally, in December 2024, the Englishman’s transfer value attained another milestone, reaching €50.0 million; to date, that value remains unchanged.
JBG’s €64.3 million deal to Chelsea undoubtedly will result in his transfer value ascending to the near-€70.0 million range, provided he obtains adequate playing time and seizes such opportunities. He will have the chance to prove himself in various competitions, namely the EPL, FA Cup (English cup), EFL Cup (English league cup) and the UCL.
As of writing, JBG’s current market valuation ranks 87th among all players worldwide, level with such Chelsea teammates as forwards Nicolas Jackson and Pedro Neto. That said, the young Englishman also ranks 40th among all EPL players and 6th among Chelsea players. Regarding his new teammates, JBG trails only midfielders Cole Palmer (€120.0 million), Moisés Caicedo (€90.0 million) and Enzo Fernández (€75.0 million); newcomer forward Estêvão (€60.0 million); and defender Levi Colwill (€55.0 million). Moreover, JBG’s transfer valuation is ranked within the top 15 in the following categories:
English players: joint-15th, with such players as Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and newly acquired FC Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford.
Left-wingers (his current position): joint-13th, with such players as Juventus FC forward Kenan Yildiz and Manchester City forward Jérémy Doku.
Players born in 2004: joint-4th, behind midfielders João Neves (PSG, €80.0 million); Gavi (FC Barcelona, €60.0 million); and Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern Munich, €55.0 million)
Playing Style
Many regard JBG as a fast winger who can play on both sides of the pitch, and run and dribble great distances, from making deep runs while on the attack to taking the lead in a counter-attack after playing the part as a quasi-full-back in his own box. For instance, in 2024-25, many in Germany consider the Englishman among the top-three and top-20 fastest players at Dortmund and in the Bundesliga, respectively.
This type of playing style is similar to traditional wingers, who generally remained in that area of the field and based their game on antagonizing opponents with speed and crafty skill moves. For example, his dribbles are quick and stylish, making him a skillful and unpredictable force for opponents. However, given the emphasis on speed and athleticism in today’s game, his style of play differs from that of wingers from the old era, which was based on pure football talent and compact tactics. As well, JBG has a strong right-foot, which he uses after cutting from the left wing (or the right-wing on an occasional basis) and striking a finesse shot towards one of the goal’s four corners.
That said, despite being widely regarded as an attacking force, JBG is also a reliable defender. Thanks to his pace, he can press opponents in steadfast fashion, forcing them to create turnovers and enable JBG and co. to begin a transition to attack. Thanks to his hawk-like eyes, he is also efficient in one-on-ones and has a knack for timely positioning to either make a tackle or complete an interception.
Player Comparisons
According to one source, JBG has a similar playing style to Sancho, the player cited as a trailblazer for the 20-year-old’s career. Though they indeed play similarly, JBG has better pace and is more reliable defensively; however, Sancho is a better playmaker and boasts better vision of the game, also making him slightly more versatile in terms of skill and playing style.
While his style of play is perhaps too modern to compare to former players, in addition to being compared to Sancho, JBG’s playing style is comparable to those of Arsenal FC forward and fellow Englishman Bukayo Saka, and now-former Dortmund teammate and forward Karim Adeyemi, who boasts near-identical statistics to JBG.
All three players rely largely on their dribbling and speed to create plays from the wings. As well, they all have a good shot, especially from such areas as the top of the 18-yard box, where most wingers put their shooting skills to the test.
Between the three players, JBG’s skillset falls in between those of Saka and Adeyemi. At the moment, the 20-year-old’s strengths are slightly inferior to those of Saka, who is also more versatile in terms of playmaking abilities and creativity, and has a stronger football-IQ. However, JBG’s strengths are arguably superior to those of Adeyemi, a less skillful player who relies more on pace than technical skills with the ball. That said, all three players are excellent at what they are supposed to do, though JBG has a higher ceiling than the polished and older Saka, and is already ahead of the slightly older and less-skillful Adeyemi.
Cosmic Potential
For JBG, the sky is beyond the limit! To perfect his game, however, JBG’s skills require some polishing, especially his ball-control, positioning off the ball and shooting. However, for a 2004-born player, he is quite the phenomenon!
That said, it is imperative that Chelsea to provide him significant playing time from the first preseason match, provided he is fit and available. Beyond preseason, the club must alsop prioritize maximizing the Englishman’s minutes across the EPL, domestic cup competitions and the UCL — a tournament in which he already boasts considerable experience.
By moving to Chelsea, the 20-year-old has given himself the challenge to compete among a large and talented cohort of forwards, both strikers and wingers. Despite the overcrowding in attack, JBG boasts adequate talent to become a better all-around player than at least most of his new teammates. Given Chelsea’s young squad, the former Dortmund stalwart can establish himself swimmingly as a perennial fixture at Stamford Bridge — perhaps within the first season.
While JBG is not necessarily projected to become a Ballon d’Or winner in the near future, we nevertheless cannot rule out that possibility. However, should he find immediate success at Chelsea — and if The Blues can ascend find consistent success in domestic competitions and in the UCL this season — the Englishman may become a candidate and potential winner of the Golden Boy award for this upcoming season. The Golden Boy is awarded to the world’s best player under the age of 21, which means that this season is the 20-year-old’s last in which he is eligible for this award.
Ultimately, JBG will be among the world’s best players within the coming years. His opponents should duly take note of his speed and flashy dribbling, while it remains raw skill. Some defenders will likely figure him out, though not fully limit his impact on the pitch; most, however, must pray they are not left in the dust somewhere along the touchline.
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