Chelsea have signed 19-year-old defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax, the club announced on Sunday.
Hato will join the Premier League club in a deal worth €46.5 million ($53m) excluding bonuses, sources told ESPN NL. Chelsea said Hato signed a long-term deal that will keep him with the club until 2032. He will join up with his new teammates later this week.
“I’m very excited, I’m so happy to be here,” Hato said after signing his deal. “I thought a lot about my future and wanted to take the next step in my career. Chelsea is the best place for me to do that so I’m very happy.”
Despite his age, Hato has made more than 100 appearances for Ajax and six for the Netherlands. Hato, who became the youngest player to captain Ajax in 2023 (17), can play either at left back or center back.
Hato, who had been courted by several of Europe’s biggest clubs, was linked with Arsenal last summer and earlier this year, before the club signed Valencia center back Cristhian Mosquera instead.
Ajax technical director Alex Kroes said the loss of Hato was a difficult one for the Eredivisie club but wished him well and thanked him for his service to the club.
“With the transfer of Jorrel, we lose one of our pillars in defense,” Kroes said. “He is not only a very great talent and a good player, but he also has a very good character and personality. We would have preferred to keep him for at least another year, but we understand that he has now set his sights on this wonderful adventure that awaits him in the Premier League.
“We wholeheartedly wish him this new challenge and are proud of what he has done for Ajax and wish him every success in England.”
Hato joined Ajax’s academy from hometown club Sparta Rotterdam in 2018 and signed his first professional contract four years later at the age of 16.
Club World Cup champions Chelsea begin the new top-flight season on Aug. 17 at home to London rivals Crystal Palace.
Information from PA Sport was used in this report.
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