Chelsea have officially completed the signing of highly-rated Ajax defender Jorrel Hato in a deal worth £37 million.
The 19-year-old Netherlands international has penned a seven-year contract with the Premier League giants after successfully undergoing a medical in London over the weekend.
Hato becomes Chelsea’s eighth signing of the summer transfer window, joining the FIFA Club World Cup champions as they continue to strengthen ahead of a busy campaign that includes a return to the UEFA Champions League.
“I’m very excited, I’m so happy to be here,” Hato said after sealing the move. “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.”
A product of Ajax’s world-renowned youth academy, Hato made his senior debut at just 16 years and 335 days old in 2023, becoming the third-youngest Eredivisie debutant for the club behind Clarence Seedorf and Ryan Gravenberch.
🔵 Chelsea have announced the signing of Netherlands international, Jorrel Hato, on a long term contract that runs until the summer of 2032#CitiSports pic.twitter.com/3aslCigOWw
— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) August 3, 2025
Capable of playing both at centre-back and left-back, the versatile defender captained Ajax at 17 and has already racked up 111 appearances for the first team.
Our newest Blue. 📋 pic.twitter.com/D1G4Zudh67
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 3, 2025
He also made his international debut for the Netherlands in 2023 against Gibraltar and has since earned six caps.
With Chelsea currently possessing seven centre-backs, Hato is expected to provide added depth and competition, especially on the left side of defence.
Levi Colwill remains the only regular left-footed centre-back, while Benoît Badiashile’s 2024–25 season was disrupted by injury and limited minutes.
Last season under head coach Francesco Farioli, Hato played predominantly at left-back in a 4-3-3 system, featuring in that position for 94% of his minutes. However, he spent most of the 2023–24 season playing at centre-back, particularly in a 4-2-3-1 setup.
Remarkably, Hato leads all players born after January 1, 2003, in minutes played at club level in Europe’s top six leagues since the start of the 2023–24 season, with a staggering 8,347 minutes—more than Jude Bellingham (7,988) and Lamine Yamal (7,506).
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca sees Hato’s tactical flexibility and experience at such a young age as a key addition to a squad preparing for the rigours of domestic and European football.
