Jorrel Hato has reportedly told Ajax that he wants to leave the club in order to join Chelsea.
Having already recruited Liam Delap, João Pedro and Jamie Gittens this summer, Chelsea are not finished bolstering the squad and have set their sights on two Dutch stars. Talks are progressing with RB Leipzig over midfielder Xavi Simons, while Hato has emerged as the top defensive target.
Hato’s agent, Humphry Nijman, confirmed to Dutch publication De Telegraaf that the 19-year-old is in talks with Chelsea, having established himself as one of world football's best young players. Fabrizio Romano adds that an agreement over personal terms has been reached.
It's claimed Hato has now asked Ajax's hierarchy to strike a deal which would see him join Chelsea this summer.
A separate report from De Telegraaf suggests Ajax are looking for as much as €60 million (£52 million, $70.5 million) to sell Hato, but Romano states that negotiations are progressing over a deal worth around €40 million (£34.7 million, $47 million—quite a significant difference in valuation.
Chelsea had been expected to finance the deal through the sale of Portuguese defender Renato Veiga, who was a key target for Atlético Madrid, but the Blues’ own price tag of €40 million ultimately proved too high. MARCA notes Atléti’s decision to sign David Hancko will put an end to their interest in Veiga.
That is not expected to halt Chelsea’s pursuit of Hato, however. The Dutch international has been on Chelsea’s radar for months, with his ability to play both as a left-back and centre-back helping him emerge as a key target.
Veiga was supposed to be Enzo Maresca’s alternative to current starting left-back Marc Cucurella but demanded a greater role at centre-back, which ultimately led to a January loan to Juventus and a likely departure this summer.
Left-back is, therefore, an area of concern for Chelsea, who have moved quickly in an attempt to fend off rival interest in Hato from the Premier League. Arsenal and Liverpool have both been named as suitors but it appears as though the Blues are close to winning the race for his signature.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Chelsea Target Requests Transfer, Agent Confirms Talks.
