Chelsea are close to seizing a market opportunity and completing their most surprising signing of the current transfer window. The latest reports indicate that the Blues are in very advanced negotiations with a possible transfer involving Jorrel Hato, a young defender who plays for Ajax.
Reports indicate that Chelsea have already reached an agreement with the defender, but negotiations are still ongoing between the clubs. Ajax are reportedly asking for around €60 million to go ahead with the sale, but the Blues have offered around €40 million. Even so, talks are continuing and only a few details remain to close the deal.
Hato is considered one of the great promises of Dutch soccer today. At the age of 19, the defender has amassed around 75 appearances for Ajax, with a good percentage of successful tackles (62.1% last season), as well as two goals and six assists. The player is fully capable of playing as a central defender or as a left-back, combining defensive strength and a good outlet for the ball. In other words, characteristics valued by Chelsea's style of play.
The young defender made history by becoming the youngest player to wear the Ajax captain's armband in a European match, at the age of 17 years and 282 days. This was one of the factors that contributed to a recent contract renewal until June 2028, with no release clause for the Dutch. Even so, Chelsea have shown a strong interest in signing him.
Chelsea makes excellent move to sign Dutch defender
This move only strengthens the transfer market that Chelsea have been working on in recent weeks. Enzo Maresca's side have already signed Mamadou Sarr and are looking to reinforce their defense with young, versatile players. Negotiations are also underway to bring in Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, and to finance these arrivals, Chelsea plan to sell or relocate players such as Sterling, Nkunku, Chukwuemeka, among others.
Finally, the arrival of this defender would also be essential to help the squad due to his personal skills, as he is a young left-footed player, safe on the ball, tactically intelligent, with a good reading of the game and good timing in tackling. He has also grown in attacking ability, contributing with progressive passes and advancing from the back.