After splurging over £100 million on three attackers, Chelsea have shifted focus towards rebuilding their backline and have been keen on signing Ajax Amsterdam star Jorrel Hato.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Blues have made major inroads in their bid to sign Hato by agreeing to personal terms with him. The player has also formally asked to leave the Dutch giants.
Chelsea and Ajax Amsterdam are now in the final stages of negotiations, Romano has added, with a £35 million transfer fee likely to be enough to secure Hato’s transfer and leading to Arsenal’s transfer for the 19-year-old get hijack.
Arsenal held a long-time interest in Hato and held talks with his agent a month back as well. Chelsea, however, took the incentive to materialise their desire to sign him and are closing in on a vital addition to their back four.
Hato a brilliant signing
Jorrel Hato would be a brilliant signing for Chelsea this summer. His age makes him the ideal purchase for their sporting project, while his price tag is also not unreasonably high.
The teenager is excellent at the back. He has an intelligent reading of the game, brilliant tackling and interception. His height of just over six feet equips him with strong aerial prowess as well.
With the ball, Hato is able to make great passes into the forward areas of the pitch while his strong dribbling skills make him a handy left-back too.
Chelsea will be bolstered by his versatility as Hato can play on both sides in the middle of the backline, whereas his utility at left back will make him a handy option behind Marc Cucurella too, more so if Renato Veiga leaves Stamford Bridge.
It will be interesting to see how long the duration of his contract is set to be given that Chelsea have tied down younger players to very lengthy deals in recent years.
