Chelsea is reportedly considering Ajax wonderkid defender Jorrel Hato as an alternate for Riccardo Calafiori this summer.
According to Team Talk, the Blues have mentioned Hato internally several times during transfer meetings, and he is also being tracked by Arsenal and Real Madrid.
With Arsenal making headway on Calafiori, it makes sense for Chelsea to search for a similar type of player, with Hato capable of playing at either centre-back or left-back to a high quality. The young Dutchman may be difficult to lure away from Ajax, even if the Eredivisie giants have a history of moving their best young players to Europe’s top clubs.
Fabrizio Romano has also stated that Hato was on Arsenal’s radar, but Ajax wants to keep him for another season, so it has to be seen how realistic this agreement is for Chelsea.
Hato transfer: Could he end up at Chelsea rather than Arsenal?
Hato appears to be a player with a bright future in the game, and it stands to reason that he matches the profile that Chelsea’s ownership prefers in the transfer market as they want to construct a long-term project around some of the world’s top young talent.
Hato may be better suited waiting for a more secure project, such as Arsenal, however it is unclear whether they will re-sign him if the Calafiori deal is successful.
Still, Hato may believe he can outperform Chelsea, who have yet to see a return on their considerable investment in so many young players, and the constant change of managers at Stamford Bridge is unlikely to help establish a settled environment.
If Team Talk is to be believed, Real Madrid may be one to keep an eye on in the future, but there will undoubtedly be many other suitors for this fantastic 18-year-old player.
