Chelsea are closing in on Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato, with the West London side having reached a verbal agreement over personal terms.
Although there are hurdles to clear before a deal is finalised, the Blues are closing in on one of the most exciting young talents in the world.
Enzo Maresca’s side are working to negotiate Hato’s transfer fee down to €50 million, which falls in line with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €46.2m. Ajax are holding out for €60m but find their position weakened by the fact that the young defender has already told them he wants to leave for Chelsea.
Personal terms have already been verbally agreed with the London side, according to CaughtOffside, setting the scene for Hato to get his wish.
And the 19-year-old promises to be an outstanding addition to Chelsea’s squad.
Jorrel Hato: A future great
Hato might not make an immediately profound impact at Chelsea, who are already well stocked with defensive talent, but in the long term, there is a belief that he can become the best centre-back in the world.
According to data analytics experts SciSports, Hato ranks third when it comes to potential among all central defenders. Only Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi and Arsenal’s William Saliba score more highly than the Ajax teenager, who can also operate at left-back.
Put into a broader context, Hato has a potential score of 141.7. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland striker is currently rated as the best player in the world with SciSports and has a current rating of 136.7, which is calculated using hundreds of in-game statistics.
Another exciting facet of this deal is that Levi Colwill is also rated among the most promising central defenders.
Most promising centre-backs in football (SciSports)
| Name | Current Ability | Potential Ability |
| Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona) | 92.4 | 160.8 |
| William Saliba (Arsenal) | 129.3 | 147.9 |
| Jorrel Hato (Ajax) | 67.6 | 141.7 |
| Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta) | 109.1 | 139.5 |
| Levi Colwill (Chelsea) | 107.0 | 132.8 |
In short, he is perfectly built for this Chelsea project. He is a player with the long-term capability to become one of the best in the world.
And he could surprise people in the short term. Already last season, he was among the best wing-backs in the Eredivisie, while in 2023/24 he was up there with the best central defenders as a 17-year-old.
Jorrel Hato vs Eredivisie centre-backs: Overall performance (2023/24)
Hato might not be as eye-catching a signing as Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro or even Liam Delap or Estevao, but he could be the fulcrum of the defence for years to come.
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