Chelsea have found their left back of the future with 19-year-old Dutch international Jorrel Hato on his way to Stamford Bridge.
The Athletic reports that Chelsea and Ajax reached an agreement for a fee in excess of £40million ($52.9 million) for the young defender, with a future sell-on clause included. Hato will travel to London this week to complete his medical before signing a seven-year contract with the Blues. Personal terms had already been agreed earlier in the week.
Hato is a product of Ajax academy and has appeared in 111 games for the Eredivisie side since making his debut in 2023. During the 2023–24 season, Hato became the youngest player ever to captain Ajax at just 17-years-old.
The teenager has had a stellar rise in his young career. He’s already featured six times for the Netherlands senior national team and he’s heralded for his potential as a young defender across Europe.
Chelsea desperately needed depth at left back. Marc Cucurella led the Blues with 48 appearances a season ago, having to play regularly both in the Premier League and the Conference League since Chelsea didn’t have a suitable replacement.
Hato joins Liam Delap, João Pedro and Jamie Gittens as Chelsea’s new summer signings, having already agreed to terms with Estêvao Willian, Kendry Páez, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr.
The Club World Cup champions are loading up in an effort to seriously challenge in both the Premier League and Champions League next season, with more signing still expected to land at Stamford Bridge before the start of 2025–26.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea ‘Reach Agreement’ for Young Talented Dutch International.
