Chelsea have reached an agreement with Ajax to sign 19-year-old centre-back Jorrel Hato in a deal worth £35.5 million, with additional performance-based add-ons. The Dutch club had initially valued the player at approximately £52 million.
Hato is expected to arrive in London within days to complete his medical and sign a long-term contract with the Blues. He was left out of Ajax’s squad for the Como Cup final on Sunday to avoid injury ahead of the move.
The young defender aligns with Chelsea’s recruitment strategy focused on acquiring promising talents on modest base salaries, supplemented by incentive-heavy deals. Hato also offers potential cover at left-back for Marc Cucurella, who had an intensive season playing nearly 70 matches for both Chelsea and the Spanish national team.
Hato will become the club’s seventh signing of the summer under Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, joining Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Estevao Willian, Dario Essugo, and Mamadou Sarr.
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