Chelsea ‘hold talks for Jorrel Hato but must stump up extra £20million to meet Ajax's transfer demands for centre-back'
HATS OFF Chelsea 'hold talks for Jorrel Hato but must stump up extra £20million to meet Ajax's transfer demands for centre-back'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
CHELSEA have held talks over Ajax star Jorrel Hato to bolster their defence, according to reports.
The Blues are willing to pay around £40million for the versatile Dutchman, 19, claim talkSPORT.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Chelsea have held talks for Ajax star Jorrel Hato
Credit: Getty
But that is some way off the Eredivisie club's £60m valuation, with Hato under contract until 2028.
Hato's ability to play both centre-back or left-back makes him appealing to Chelsea, who are flush with cash after winning the Club World Cup.
However the teenager has said he feels "at home" in Amsterdam.
Liverpool have also been linked with Hato, with former captain Jordan Henderson - who played alongside him at Ajax - calling him a "fantastic player".
Last year Hato won the Johan Cruyff Talent of the Year in Holland, after playing 50 games for his club.
He also has six international caps.
Hato represented his country this summer at the Euro U21s, where Holland were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners England.
He was only 16 when he made his debut for Ajax, and was the youngest player to hit 100 games at just 18 years old.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
He has also worn the captain's armband, becoming the club's youngest captain ever at 17 years and 250 days.
Chelsea see Hato as cover for Marc Cucurella.
Cole Palmer and Chelsea celebrate in style as they arrive back at their hotel after Club World Cup victory
2
The Spaniard has become a key part of Enzo Maresca's side but risks burning out by playing every game.
Renato Veiga had been brought in last summer to deputise for Cucurella.
But the Portugal international demanded an exit for first-team football in January and spent the second half of the season on loan at Juventus.
Veiga thought he was then going to be reinstated in the squad for the Club World Cup.
But he was left out of the victorious group, sparking serious doubts over his Stamford Bridge future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Seven WSL clubs to trial allowing alcohol in stands
Alcohol will be permitted in the stands at seven Women's Super League clubs from the 2025-26 season as part of a trial, marking a significant departure from the decades-long ban imposed on men's games to curb hooliganism. For the upcoming season, fans attending matches at Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, London City Lionesses, Manchester City, and Manchester United stadiums will be able to consume alcohol. This follows a successful trial last year across 19 fixtures involving four second-tier WSL2 clubs and 51,000 supporters. The WSL reported that two-thirds of fans were in favour, with 84 per cent rating their safety between nine and 10 out of 10. Holly Murdoch, chief operating officer for WSL Football, said: "Expanding this trial for the new campaign, encompassing our Barclays WSL teams and additional Barclays WSL2 clubs too, is part of our strategy to offer a best-in-class experience for our fans attending matches. "Exploring giving supporters the choice to drink alcohol in the stands was something we were excited to trial and following such positive feedback from the proof-of-concept version, we're looking forward to opening it up to more venues and equally, hearing from those at the heart of it — our clubs and supporters." The growing women's game in England has proved a far more family-friendly experience than men's football, where foul language is common and violence often flared in past decades, leading to a 1985 ban on alcohol in view of the pitch. The 1985 legislation does not cover the women's game. As well as underlining the cleaner atmosphere at women's games, the decision is a nod to the success of in-seat drinking at the 2025 Women's European Championship.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Erik ten Hag's former assistant reveals what 'disappointed' him about his two years at Man United
Erik ten Hag 's former assistant manager - Mitchell van der Gaag - has opened up about his time at Manchester United. Van der Gaag served under Ten Hag after following him from Ajax to Old Trafford in 2022, helping the Red Devils win the EFL Cup and the FA Cup in his two seasons at the club. After a shake-up of United's coaching team in the summer of 2024 - which saw Ruud van Nistelrooy replace him as assisant - Van der Gaag left the club in July that year to pursue a managerial role elsewhere. The 53-year-old was unveiled as FC Zurich's new head coach this May, signing a two-year deal with the Swiss side. Van der Gaag described his tenure at United as a 'wonderful' period, but admitted there was one major disappointment that stuck with him from the two-year spell. 'I look back on my time at Manchester United positively,' he told Givemesport. 'I think it was two wonderful years. They were very positive and I learned a lot. 'The first year was very positive because we finished in third place, won the Carabao Cup and went to the FA Cup final. 'I think the only disappointment, in my opinion, was that we could have been better in the Europa League. But I think the first year was very positive, so everyone expected that we could improve in the second season.' United bowed out of the Europa League in 2023-24 after a humiliating 5-2 aggregate defeat by Sevilla in the quarter-finals. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first leg at Old Trafford, United collapsed late on, conceding twice in the final ten minutes to leave the tie level at 2-2. But the second leg in Spain proved a disaster, with Ten Hag's side slumping to a 3-0 defeat. In his debut season, Ten Hag brought renewed optimism to Old Trafford. United finished third in the Premier League, clinched the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup final. But despite the silverware, his second year presented a host of challenges. United struggled to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League and exited the Champions League at the group stage. In the end, United salvaged their campaign with a dramatic win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley - a triumph that, Van der Gaag said, helped put a more positive spin on a turbulent year. He added: 'That was a very strange season [2023-24]. We were not good enough in the Premier League or Champions League. There were very strange results as well because there were games we were winning comfortably and then drawing or losing. 'But, in the end, we won the FA Cup. It puts everything in a positive way, so that was important. 'They were two years when I learned a lot, especially about the way the Premier League functions, the way football is played and the tactical variations. It was something that I really enjoyed.' Ten Hag was dismissed last October with Man United lying 14th in the Premier League after winning just four of their opening 14 matches. His departure came despite the club triggering a one-year contract extension last summer. The Dutchman had previously served as coach of Bayern Munich's second team between 2015 and 2017. Ten Hag then enjoyed an impressive spell at Utrecht, before leading Ajax to three consecutive Dutch titles and the 2019 Champions League semi-finals. At United, Ten Hag won 70 of his 128 games in charge - a 54.69 per cent win rate - the third-highest win rate of any manager to oversee 100 or more games in the club's history. The 55-year-old now manages Bayer Leverkusen, having succeeded Xabi Alonso in May.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Shin Yamada Celtic mystery as new signing removed from team sheet
The Japanese forward had initially been listed among the substitutes for the match against the Eredivisie club. However, an updated post then removed his name from the squad for tonight's match in Italy. The reason for Yamada being removed from the Celtic squad, shared on the club's social media channel, is not clear. 📋 A reminder of tonight's team news! Here's how Celtic line up to take on Ajax for #FootballOnTheLake 👇#ComoCup | #CelticFC 🍀 — Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 24, 2025 Rodgers previously said of Yamada: 'I am really pleased that we have brought Shin to the club. He is a strong player who can score goals and create goals for others, and I think he is someone who can definitely add an important dimension to our forward line. "I know he is really keen to make his mark here in European football and deliver for Celtic, and I think he is someone who has the power, athleticism and intensity in his play to do really well for us. "I look forward to working with him." CELTIC XI: Schmeichel, Ralston, Murray, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Nygren, Hatate, Yang, Maeda, Idah. SUBS: Sinisalo, Doohan, Rice, Trusty, McCowan, Osmand, Carter-Vickers, Tilio, Kenny, Inamura, Engels, Bernardo, Summers, Forrest, Donovan.
