Latest news with #MarcCucurella
The Sun
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Eze ‘keen on Gunners move', Trossard ‘wanted by two Prem clubs', Saliba contract update
Chelsea agree Hato deal Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Jorrel Hato from Ajax for £37million. The Blues have held long-term interest in the Netherlands international, 19, who will sign a seven-year-deal. Hato can play at both left-back and centre-back and is thought to be primarily considered as cover and competition for Marc Cucurella. The defender has been a target for Arsenal and Liverpool in the past. Hato is set to travel for a medical after being given permission to travel to London and complete the move.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Why Chelsea are signing Ajax teenager Jorrel Hato
Chelsea believe prospective new signing Jorrel Hato can ease some of the burden on Marc Cucurella as the club aim to close a deal for the Ajax defender for around £35 million. Hato, 19, can play in a range of defensive positions, including centre-back, but Telegraph Sport understands Chelsea predominantly view him as providing depth and competition at left-back. Cucurella played more minutes than any Chelsea outfield player last season, including the Club World Cup, making 54 appearances in total – four more than midfielder Moises Caicedo. The Spaniard was one of Chelsea's best and most consistent performers and head coach Enzo Maresca does not want to run the risk of burn-out or Cucurella suffering a serious injury from having to play too much. The club recognises that Cucurella needs assistance, given how much he has played and also the fact Chelsea will combine Premier League and Champions League campaigns this season. While Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández, who were second, third and fourth in terms of minutes played last season, are all key players, Chelsea do have depth in their respective positions to rotate and rest them if they wish. And the signing of Hato is being made very much with that in mind in terms of Cucurella, with left-back one of the very few areas in which Chelsea saw themselves as being light on numbers and quality. The fact Hato can also play on the left side of central defence may also be good news for Levi Colwill, who was fifth on the list of outfield players who played the most minutes last season, but it is Cucurella who will likely see most of the benefit. Reece James filled in as a makeshift left-back on occasion last season, but Chelsea want a more natural fit for the position to compete with Cucurella and allow him to be rested. Other than Hato, Chelsea are working towards signing attacker Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig with Joao Felix heading to Saudi Arabia. But that will not stop Chelsea considering more attackers if – as expected – they sell Christoper Nkunku, who has interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League and overseas. Chelsea retain an interest in Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho and the arrival of Simons will not necessarily close the door on a potential deal for the Argentine. Simons can play centrally as a 10 or off the left, which possibly leaves space for Garnacho to compete for a left-wing place with Jamie Gittens should Nkunku follow Joao Felix out of Stamford Bridge. There also remains a possibility Nicolas Jackson could leave Chelsea this summer. Newcastle United are currently trying to sign Benjamin Sesko, but could look towards Jackson if that move falls through. Jackson is also thought to interest Juventus, who are expected to enter the market for a striker if they can move on Dusan Vlahovic.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ajax star makes feelings clear amid 'difficult' transfer negotiations with Chelsea
Chelsea are keen to sign a new left-back to challenge Marc Cucurella and have opened talks with Ajax to sign 19-year-old star Jorrel Hato, who sat out of their game on Sunday Jorrel Hato asked to be left out of Ajax's friendly against Como on the weekend because he's in negotiations to join Chelsea. Hato has been eyed by a number of Premier League sides this summer after catching the eye of scouts and Chelsea are in pole position to sign him. The 19-year-old defender, who can play at centre-back and left-back, has already made 111 appearances for the Dutch giants. He still has three years left on his contract with Ajax, but it now seems likely he will leave this summer. Liverpool and Arsenal have both been credited with interest in the youngster whose versatility and experience make him an attractive prospect. Ajax are braced for his exit after Hato made it clear to head coach John Heitinga that he would rather not play against on Sunday. That's according to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, who report that negotiations with Chelsea remain 'difficult' despite the player's desire to leave. Ajax are understood to be seeking a fee of between €55-60million (£48m-£52.5m) for Hato, while Chelsea are aiming for a figure closer to £40m. Hato has now missed two straight pre-season matches for Ajax, having also sat out of the previous game against Celtic. Heitinga had claimed his first absence was due to a lack of match fitness, but it is clear that more is going on. Chelsea want a left-back to challenge Marc Cucurella, with Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga and Ishe Samuels-Smith all leaving this summer. They opened negotiations for the 2024/25 Eredivisie Talent of the Season last week and are hoping to progress them this week. 'Yes, the club [Chelsea] have contacted Ajax,' Hato's agent Humphry Nijman told De Telegraaf on Wednesday. Hato appears to have changed his tune over the past month, having previously declared himself to be 'at home' in Amsterdam. He played 50 times last season as Ajax came up just short of rivals PSV Eindhoven in the league and appeared determined to kick on. 'The smartest thing is to look ahead to pre-season, that's what I do,' Hato told the club website. 'Of course you want to achieve things in the end: the Champions League, a World Cup and a European Championship, I still have plenty of time. I don't think I absolutely have to win the Champions League in two years. 'In the Dutch league, you have to show how good you are against the big clubs. Ultimately, I have to continue to develop the things I am already good at, so that it becomes top. How do I describe my time at Ajax? Ajax is home for me. I just feel at home here.'
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'More stacked than Schwarzenegger in the wide positions'
We asked for your thoughts on Chelsea's signings so far this summer and whether the Blues needed more reinforcements amid the links with Dutch duo Xavi Simons and Jorrel are some of your comments:Dan: Chelsea still being interested in signing Simons and Hato makes sense. Hato is the much-needed back-up for Marc Cucurella, so players like Reece James and Malo Gusto will stop being played out of position as support. Simons can play on the left and in the centre, which is needed when joao Felix, Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku are all looking to be permanent departures this They are trying to strengthen quality and depth. The moment they get what they want, they will offload what they don't want to balance their We definitely have too many players. Hato is a good investment as back-up for Cucurella, which is desperately needed, but I think Simons is a bit unnecessary, and Jamie Gittens just looks like a Noni Madueke 2.0. No more incomings for me and hoping for plenty of sales!Harry: We don't need anyone else. We have a big, strong squad, and they are more than capable of getting to the level they need to win the Premier League and the Champions We have a bloated squad and need to trim it down. The only position we need to strengthen is the goalkeeper. Why on earth did we sell Djordje Petrovic? I do not know as he is a better keeper than Robert Sanchez. While he had a good Club World Cup, Sanchez's distribution is still Can we give it a rest? Simons is a great player, and perhaps would provide useful competition and/or back-up for Pedro Neto, but we are more stacked than Schwarzenegger in the wide positions. If we don't shift a couple of players, like Felix, we're going to end up with an unhappy contingent of players starved of meaningful game time, which can't be great for squad morale. This just seems like a scattergun, haphazard approach following the windfall from the Club World a Chelsea fan? Get news alerts on your Premier League club
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Marc Cucurella hits out at 'strange' timing of Noni Madueke's £52m Arsenal move and claims ex-Chelsea team-mate has 'missed opportunity'
The timing of Noni Madueke's £52million move to Chelsea 's London rivals Arsenal was 'strange', according to Marc Cucurella. The Spaniard was baffled by his ex-team-mate deciding to jump ship while his side were on the cusp of silverware at the Club World Cup. Enzo Maresca 's men went on to triumph at the tournament in the US, battering a much-fancied PSG side in the final. Madueke, 23, could have had his hands on a winner's medal but opted to leave camp to finalise his transfer to the Gunners rather than delay it. Cucurella was asked if that decision struck him as a strange one when speaking to Gerard Moreno during a Q&A with youngsters at his academy in Spain. He replied: 'Yes, I think so. I think he missed a good opportunity (although) he wasn't playing as a starter. 'I do think it was because of everything that was happening regarding his future and in the end I think it could have delayed him a couple of days since he left a day early or something like that. 'It wouldn't have cost him anything to wait for that next day. In the end I think he missed a pretty good opportunity.' Madueke was a major part of Chelsea's success in the competition having featured in five of the six games for the Blues. But he missed the crowning moment after deciding to leave before the final. Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer were the men deployed on the flanks in the 3-0 win. Madueke was then announced as an Arsenal player at the end of last week on a five-year deal. He said: 'Humbled and blessed to be here. Thank you to everyone that made this possible. 'I can't wait to get on the pitch and start to repay the faith shown in me. It's going to be so special.' Cucurella, meanwhile, has admitted he was 'scared s***less' by Donald Trump when the US president crashed Chelsea's trophy lift. He explained to Spanish journalist Romero: 'We had been told that, as a rule, Donald Trump would come to present us with the trophy and that we couldn't lift it until he left. 'And of course, we were all there waiting for him to leave, but the guy didn't want to leave, and on top of that, we looked at him and he said, "Get him up, I'll stay here, and so on." 'And I wondered who would say anything to him, you know... I was scared s***less!' It was anticipated that the Commander-in-Chief would step aside after giving the trophy to Chelsea captain James - as is customary. However, to the bewilderment of many Chelsea players, Trump remained on stage for the entire trophy lift.
