Chelsea have already made their first signing of the summer transfer window as Liam Delap joins from Ipswich Town.
Enzo Maresca was keen on getting this deal done as swiftly as possible, and it sets the club up nicely for the Club World Cup this month.
While improving his attacking options is key, adding another defender or two is certainly on his list.
Chelsea’s search for a defender
Marc Guehi has been linked previously, but it doesn’t look like there is any progress on that deal. Marc Gila is another who has been linked, but it appears as though Maresca is after just one man at the moment – Jorrel Hato.
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Indeed, journalist Ben Jacobs has stated that the Dutchman “remains a player of interest to Chelsea”, with the Blues said to be “exploring” potential targets – having seemingly ruled out a move for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.
A fee of around £46m could be enough to secure the services of the versatile defender, which may well turn into a bargain.
If he does make the move to Stamford Bridge, Hato could prove to be even better than Marc Cucurella, especially given his impressive attacking abilities.
Why Chelsea must now sign Jorrel Hato
Cucurella played all but two Premier League matches for the Blues last season, establishing himself as the first-choice left-back.
He contributed with six goals and assists and created three big chances for the club as they secured Champions League football for the first time since 2022/23.
Playing in the same position, Hato was also a regular for Ajax last season. Across 31 Eredivisie matches, the Dutchman scored twice and grabbed six assists, while also creating six big chances for his teammates.
At seven years younger than the Spaniard, Hato would be an ideal long-term option on the left side of the defence for Maresca, that’s for sure.
That is evidenced by the fact that when comparing the pair and their respective statistics, via Sofascore, Hato betters Cucurella across a range of statistics.
Metric (per 90)
Cucurella
Hato
Accurate passes
40.3
45.2
Key passes
0.5
0.6
Tackles
1.9
1.9
Total duels won
3.9
4.1
Balls recovered
3.6
4.2
Possession lost
7.8
8.3
Indeed, the youngster registered more goal-creating actions per 90 (0.34 vs 0.18), a higher percentage of successful take-ons (35% vs 23.5%) per 90, more progressive carries (53 vs 43) and won a higher percentage of aerial duels per 90 (55.6% vs 39.2%) than the Chelsea defender last season.
Hato has gone from strength to strength since making his debut for Ajax, and his 2024/25 campaign was widely praised, especially by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who said he has “immense quality” while possessing a “huge future ahead”.
If Maresca can secure his signature, it would represent a major coup for the Blues. Cucurella would certainly be an able deputy for the youngster, but Hato should be the starting left-back for the Blues next term.
His ability to also play centre-back will come in useful for the manager, especially as the club will be fighting across several fronts next season.
For ‘just’ £46m, a move makes perfect sense indeed.
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