Chelsea have completed the signing of highly-rated Dutch defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax in a transfer worth €43 million.
The 19-year-old prodigy has agreed to a seven-year contract with the Premier League side, as confirmed by the club.
“Jorrel Hato has officially joined Chelsea on a seven-year deal,” the club statement read.
Hato, who made his senior debut for Ajax in February 2023 at just 16 years, 10 months, and 23 days old, became the fifth-youngest debutant in the club’s history. He quickly rose through the ranks to become Ajax’s youngest-ever captain and the youngest player to register over 100 appearances for the Dutch giants.
The left-footed defender leaves Amsterdam after 111 appearances, having contributed four goals and 10 assists. His €43 million fee equals that of Mohammed Kudus’ move to West Ham, making Hato the joint-fifth most expensive player ever sold by Ajax.
“Hato’s fee of €43 million made the Rotterdam-born defender the fifth most expensive player in Ajax history, tying Mohammed Kudus’s fee when the Ghanaian star left for West Ham.”
Chelsea, who lifted the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup last season, will return to UEFA Champions League action for the first time since 2023. Hato is expected to compete with Marc Cucurella for the left-back role but is also versatile enough to play centrally, where he faces competition from Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, and Mamadou Sarr.
“Jorrel Hato’s first chance of appearing for Chelsea will be on August 8th, when the Blues host Bayer Leverkusen in a friendly at Stamford Bridge.”
Chelsea kick off their Premier League campaign on August 17th with a home fixture against Crystal Palace.
