Chelsea are now seriously considering opening talks with Ajax for Jorrel Hato after losing out on one of their favoured defensive targets, TEAMtalk can reveal.
With Real Madrid officially announcing the signing of Dean Huijsen — a defender Chelsea had also followed with interest — the Blues are turning their focus toward the 19-year-old Ajax talent.
As we reported on March 25, Hato is one of the most followed young defenders in Europe, with obviously Chelsea, Liverpool, AC Milan and Arsenal – and also Real Madrid before they landed Huijsen – all monitoring his development. With Huijsen off the market, Hato has become a priority target for the Blues.
Internal discussions are ongoing at Chelsea, with the club aiming to contact Ajax soon to understand the terms and conditions of a possible deal. The Dutch club has already set the asking price in the region of €45-50million (£37.8-42m).
As we reported in late April, Chelsea plan to sign two centre-backs this summer, and Hato is quickly climbing their shortlist.
Liverpool, Milan, and Arsenal remain interested, but Chelsea are hoping to move fast and stay ahead of the competition: talks are expected to start soon.
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Liverpool expected to move
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has previously corroborated information on Chelsea and Liverpool’s desire to land Hato.
Romano told his YouTube channel PRIOR to Huijsen signing for Real Madrid: “Jorrel Hato, the talented defender from Ajax, for sure he’s a player on the list of Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League.
“Both clubs are monitoring the player, for sure he’s in the lists. Chelsea, Liverpool Arsenal and more are all waiting for Dean Huijsen to make his choice.
“These three clubs are strong in the race for Huijsen so they are waiting for the player to make a decision.
“But Jorrel Hato is also in the list at Chelsea and at Liverpool as a potential name in case they can’t get Huijsen.”
With Huijsen’s move from Bournemouth to Real Madrid now confirmed, it appears the Blues could face a battle with the Premier League champions to sign Hato.
Chelsea round-up: Defender could leave permanently
Elsewhere, a Chelsea defender could leave on a permanent deal, with current Aston Villa loanee Axel Disasi said to be in discussions over a permanent move to Villa Park.
The Blues could also lose Marc Cucurella if Liverpool take the advice of Glen Johnson, who has told them they should be “doing everything” to land the left-back.
The Premier League champions are also said to have joined the race for Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku.
In terms of incomings, the Blues could be able to land Serhou Guirassy for a smaller fee than some other clubs, as he’s reported to have a £59million release clause, but that only some big clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and a few others can trigger.
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