Chelsea approach imminent Jamie Gittens transfer deadline after controversial £50m decision

Chelsea have secured a place in the Club World Cup last-16 but perhaps not the way that many expected. Heading into the tournament they were heavily tipped for a spot in the knockout stage, yet few would have had them finishing behind Flamengo.

As it turns out, a surprise end to Group C left second place being beneficial, at least on paper. Instead of facing Bayern Munich, it is Benfica who await Enzo Maresca's side.

That is a favourable turn of events which could lead to an increased financial package from the tournament. Chelsea have ended up on the kinder side of the draw with one of Palmeiras or Botafogo ahead in the quarter-finals.

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Before the Club World Cup started, if Chelsea had been offered matches against Flamengo, Los Angeles FC, ES Tunis, Benfica, and Palmeiras/Botafogo for the best part of £45million, then they would have taken it without a doubt. This is not to underestimate the Brazilian sides or even Benfica, who are clearly a dangerous opponent.

However, Chelsea have managed to avoid Bayern, who have serious strength in depth, even if Vincent Kompany's team are yet to create a fully formed identity. They cannot play Paris Saint-Germain until the final.

Although Chelsea have not hit full stride yet, they do have flexibility themselves. Maresca, for the first time, properly rotated his starting XI against Tunis, opting to play Filip Jorgensen in goal with Conference League regulars Benoit Badiashile, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Josh Acheampong, Malo Gusto, and Christopher Nkunku all getting a run out as well.

Marc Guiu made an appearance, as did Andrey Santos.Most of the strongest XI were left unused entirely, which will come as a boost for the clash with Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday, especially after the extreme heat this game was played in and the struggles for preparation due to the weather here.

Maresca is likely to switch back to something resembling the team he ended the Premier League season with for the Benfica game. However, for the first time since the June 10 mini transfer deadline at the start of the window, new players can once again be added to the squad.

FIFA have created a second registration window for the Club World Cup allowing teams to add new players ahead of the knockout stages. It is to allow those who have joined between June 10 and now to be a part of the squad for the rest of the competition.

The summer window opened again on June 16, giving clubs under 10 days to this point to complete any further business. For Chelsea, there is currently nothing they can change in terms of new signings having not made anymore signings since Liam Delap.

They could add Kendry Paez, who travelled to America despite not being named in the initial squad. He is expected to join RC Strasbourg on loan.

Jamie Gittens is the player they are closest to. Talks are continuing with Borussia Dortmund over a move worth around £50million for him after two bids were rejected ahead of the group stage on June 10.Dortmund subsequently named him in their squad and used him as a substitute in their first match.

That decision now means that even if Gittens signed for Chelsea, he could not be added to the Club World Cup.FIFA rules do not allow for players registered with one club to switch to another partway through.

It would be a blow for Chelsea, who have until July 3 to make all the changes to their squad. If anything was to happen quickly with regards to other players of interest then they could, in theory, be registered in time to play Benfica on June 28.

The second registration window opens up June 27. The quarter-finals are scheduled for July 5, which means that Chelsea, in total, will have just a week to confirm any changes with new players or alterations. The squad for a potential quarter-final will remain for as long as the journey into the tournament goes on.

Gittens won't be part of it, whether he joins in time or not, but he could still take part in training. Maresca has been wary of overtraining his players and did not include Nicolas Jackson ahead of the Tunis game because he would not be featuring due to a ban, which will now carry over to the last-16.

There is still some time on the practice pitch for Gittens if things move quickly on from here, as expected. Whereas his tournament cannot start for Chelsea, there is still time to for amendments to be made.