Chelsea closing in on Jorrel Hato deal

New York Times

6 days ago

Chelsea are closing in on a deal to sign Jorrel Hato from Ajax.
An agreement between the clubs has yet to be reached but is nearing, with a compromise expected in the coming days on a price worth more than €40million (£34.8m; $46.7m).
Personal terms are already in place for the 19-year-old Netherlands international defender.
Chelsea opened discussions with Ajax over a move for Hato earlier this month. Arsenal had previously identified Hato as a defensive target in January 2024, before he signed a new five-year contract with Ajax last summer.
Hato, who has made 111 first-team appearances for Ajax and has captained the side, is predominantly a left-sided centre-back who has also featured at left-back.
Capped six times at senior international level by the Netherlands, he joined Ajax's academy in 2018 from Sparta Rotterdam and has been a fixture in the first team since making his debut in January 2023.
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Chelsea have already signed Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens this summer, alongside the arrivals of players on pre-existing agreements including Estevao, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Noni Madueke and Djordje Petrovic are among the players to have left Stamford Bridge permanently this month.
Analysis by Andy Jones and Mark Carey
Hato is one of the hottest defensive prospects in Europe, having played regularly for Ajax for the last two seasons.
Graduating from the Ajax academy, he is technically gifted and confident in possession. He is used to being in a ball-dominant side and he is not afraid to be adventurous with the ball at his feet both through dribbling or using his passing range. For context, only PSV Eindhoven's Richy Ledezma posted a better pass completion rate than Hato's 89 per cent among Eredivisie full-backs last season.
At such a young age, he is still growing into his body and that will only benefit him defensively, an area he is good in but has room to improve — he is a solid one-on-one defender, reads the game well but does not dominate aerially.