Chelsea are closing in on Ajax star Jorrel Hato, according to Fabrizio Romano, who indicates that the Netherlands defender has likely played his last move for the Amsterdam club.
Football transfer news expert Romano says the two clubs are in contact about a potential transfer for Hato.
Hato remains on the radar of many top Premier League clubs. There was previously talk of serious interest from both Chelsea and Liverpool. The Blues, in particular, continue to closely monitor the young defender’s progress and recently reached out again to explore the possibilities of a potential transfer. For now, however, it remains an exploratory approach.
Ajax, in turn, has no intention of cooperating with Hato’s departure. The 19-year-old defender, who can play both centrally and at left-back, is a regular in the Amsterdam side’s starting lineup and, moreover, has a contract until the summer of 2028.
Journalist Sacha Tavolieri reports that Ajax is therefore setting a hefty price tag of £60 million (€69m).
Romano, meanwhile, says that Chelsea have Hato firmly on their minds.
Taking to X, he tweeted: “Chelsea have now made official club-to-club contact with Ajax for Jorrel Hato as next top priority! Hato, understood to be keen on the move and already prepared to accept personal terms at Chelsea. Negotiations are ongoing with a very good relationship between clubs.”
Transfer fee a sticking point?
According to recent reports, the amount Ajax are requesting is considerably higher than what interested clubs are willing to offer.
It is estimated that bids will not be above €46m for Hato. This represents a gap of around €23m – or 50% – to Ajax’s asking price.
Hato’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV), meanwhile, stands at €46.2m, suggesting the price being offered to the Amsterdam club is a fair one.
Football transfer news headlines today
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
