Chelsea have signed Dutch defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax for £37 million. The 19-year-old will be with the team until 2032 on a seven-year contract. The Netherlands international passed his medical exam in London over the weekend and is now the eighth player to join the reigning Club World Cup champions this summer.
Hato said:
“I’m very excited, I’m so happy to be here. I thought a lot about my future and wanted to take the next step in my career. Chelsea is the best place for me to do that so I’m very happy.”
Head coach Enzo Maresca needed someone to play defence on the left side, and his ability to play a lot of different positions makes him a key asset. Chelsea has seven centre-backs, but only Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile are naturally left-footed. Badiashile’s preparations for the 2024–25 season were put on hold because of a hamstring injury, and Colwill was a key player last season.
Ben Chilwell isn’t in favour right now, and Marc Cucurella is facing no competition, so Hato could also try to take over as left-back. Last season, he played 94% of his minutes at left-back under Ajax coach Francesco Farioli, showing tactical discipline in a 4-3-3 system. The year before, he mostly played in the middle of a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Chelsea have spent about £360 million on centre-backs in the last three years. They see Hato as a long-term project that fits their model of signing young players with a lot of potential to long-term contracts. He is likely to play in the upcoming friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan. Chelsea’s first Premier League game of the season will be at home against Crystal Palace on August 17.
Jorrel Hato So Far
Hato can play as a centre-back or a left-back. He came through Ajax’s famous youth system and became the captain of the Eredivisie giants at the age of 17. He made his debut in 2023 at the age of 16 years and 335 days, making him the third-youngest Ajax player to do so after Clarence Seedorf and Ryan Gravenberch. Since then, he has played in 111 competitive games, scoring four goals and assisting nine times.
Hato made his international debut for the Netherlands in a 2023 Euro qualifier against Gibraltar. He has since played six times for his country and is thought to be one of the best young defenders in Europe.