It’s been another busy summer for Chelsea.
In their quest for domestic and continental dominance, the Blues have again cannonballed into the market to bolster the squad. Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens have joined from Ipswich Town, Brighton and Hove Albion and Borussia Dortmund, respectively. Meanwhile Estevao, Dario Essugo and Kendry Paez have all completed their pre-arranged moves to Stamford Bridge.
However, there were concerns about Chelsea being too top heavy as they look to build on Uefa Conference League and Club World Cup success. Even with the Blues conceding the third-fewest goals in the Premier League last season (43).
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How much say Enzo Maresca has in the transfers remains to be seen. But he’ll welcome the addition of Jorrel Hato with open arms.
The prodigious Dutchman has been courted by the Premier League’s big hitters in the past. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have previously been credited with an interest in the teenager. However, it’s Chelsea who have won the race for Hato. The Blues are maintaining their strategy to sign the brightest young players on low wages with highly incentivised contracts.
Where will Hato fit in at Chelsea?
The question will be where Hato fits in at Chelsea. This is a conundrum for Maresca, but one he’ll relish. A left-sided defender, Hato will provide cover and competition for both Levi Colwill at centre-back and Marc Cucurella at left-back. That the 19-year-old is able to feature in the latter role is key for the Blues.
Cucurella has been a busy man over the last 12 months. The Spaniard has made 62 appearances for club and country since the start of Euro 2024. A lack of top-quality cover at left-back meant Cucurella was called upon regularly by Maresca.
Now, Cucurella didn’t necessarily disappoint – rather he thrived and, to some, was the Premier League’s best left-back last season. But the concern is that Chelsea couldn’t go through a similarly demanding campaign with just one recognised left-back.
Malo Gusto, Reece James and Renato Veiga – prior to his loan departure – were all able deputies in the role last season. But all were ultimately playing out of position. And Chelsea struggled down the left flank without Cucurella providing the natural width and balance. While to some, Hato is nominally a centre-back, the Netherlands international featured prominently at left-back for Ajax and the Oranje across 2024-25.
How does Hato compare?
Hato operated at left-back for the duration of Ajax’s Europa League campaign and was a solid performer off the ball. He trumped Cucurella in the key defensive metrics in the Spaniard’s respective Conference League campaign.
Indeed, Hato managed more tackles (2.7 to 2.6), interceptions (1.4 to 1), clearances (2.2 to 1.8) and blocked more shots (0.3 to 0) per 90 minutes. The defensive side to Hato’s game is superior to Cucurella’s. But that is to be expected given the Dutchman’s centre-back history.
That, however, does present some concerns about Hato’s attacking output. And it’s here where Cucurella outperforms the Dutchman — at least in Europe last season. Cucurella bested Hato on passes per 90 (61 to 44.2), forward passes per 90 (15.6 to 12.7) and had a marginally better passing accuracy (89.71% to 88.43%). The Spaniard’s distribution enabled Chelsea to dominate in a competition they, arguably, won at a canter.
What will Hato bring to Chelsea?
That’s not to say that Hato isn’t effective when he does press forward. Ultimately that shouldn’t come as a surprise in an Ajax side that held the second-highest possession average (58%) in the Eredivisie last season. But Hato was able to maximise his chance to push forward and support the attack. He provided six assists in the Eredivisie, the second-most among defenders in the Dutch top-flight. Hato also chipped in with two goals.
Crucially, Hato’s experience at centre-back also grants Maresca greater flexibility when it comes to team selection. Cucurella’s desire to bomb upfield and overlap on the left flank certainly suits Chelsea if they are expected to dominate opponents. But when the Blues come up against sides that’ll potentially see more of the ball, having a more defensive-sound defender in Hato is a good option.
Some may suspect that Chelsea are doing as Chelsea do. Stockpiling youngsters with a view to selling at a higher price. But even at 19, Hato arrives in London with a wealth of experience. He’s made over 100 appearances for Ajax and captained them at the tender age of 16. He isn’t moving to Chelsea to merely make up the numbers.
The return to the Champions League ups the ante for Chelsea and increases the pressure on Maresca to succeed. A quick turnaround between the end of the Club World Cup and the start of the Premier League season means Maresca needs to maximise the strength in depth at his disposal with the games set to come thick and fast in 2025-26.
Hato’s wealth of experience, even at a young age, will prove a boost for this inexperienced Blues side. Chelsea were responsible for nine of the 10 youngest starting XIs in the Premier League last season. And while that’ll likely continue in the coming campaign. The ample game time under Hato’s belt already means he won’t be fazed at the prospect of turning out for one of football’s most recognised teams.
Throw Hato in at the deep end and he’ll swim rather than sink.