London, July 23 — Chelsea are pushing ahead in their bid to sign highly-rated Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, with club-to-club negotiations now underway and personal terms already close to being finalised.
The 19-year-old, who has already racked up 75 senior appearances for Ajax and serves as the club’s vice-captain, is seen as one of the brightest young defensive talents in Europe. Comfortable both at centre-back and left-back, Hato’s versatility and leadership at such a young age have made him a prime target for Chelsea’s ongoing squad rebuild.
Reports last week confirmed Chelsea’s interest, and now Hato’s agent, Humphry Nijman, has provided fresh confirmation of the talks. “Yes, the club has contacted Ajax. All I can say is that Jorrel is now talking to Chelsea,” Nijman told De Telegraaf journalist Mike Verweij.
Hato has also broken into the Netherlands senior squad, making six appearances for the Oranje, and is considered a key figure in the country’s next generation of stars.
Chelsea are confident of landing the defender, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that personal terms are not expected to be an obstacle. With the Blues keen to bolster their backline and inject more youth into their ranks, Hato could become the latest high-potential signing at Stamford Bridge this summer.