Jorrel Hato: Chelsea agree €40M deal to sign highly-rated Ajax defender

Jorrel Hato is set to travel to London for his medical in the coming days after Chelsea finalized a deal that includes substantial add-ons.

The 19-year-old Dutch defender, who can play as a left-back or centre-back, has over 100 first-team appearances for Ajax. He aligns with Chelsea’s strategy of securing young talent on long-term contracts.

Hato was omitted from Ajax’s squad for the Como Cup pre-season tournament on Sunday, signaling his imminent transfer. In 2023, he became Ajax’s youngest-ever captain at 17 and debuted for the Netherlands senior team shortly after.

Regarded as one of Europe’s top prospects, he played in the Netherlands Under-21 side that fell to England in the European Championship semi-finals in Slovakia last month.

Hato will be Chelsea’s seventh summer signing, following Liam Delap, João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Estêvão, Dário Essugo, and Mamadou Sarr.

Chelsea are also negotiating with RB Leipzig for Xavi Simons, with the Dutch forward valued at approximately €70m.

Simons has also attracted interest from Bayern Munich but is thought to prefer a move to the Premier League, and is expected to become a Chelsea signing before the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season.