Chelsea have reportedly already had some contacts over a potential transfer move for one of the biggest defensive prospects in the game.
According to Simon Phillips, the Blues spoke this week with the representatives of Ajax wonderkid Jorrel Hato, who has also been tracked by Arsenal for some time.
Hato has shone for Ajax and looks like one of the biggest talents in the game right now, providing a quality option at either centre-back or left-back.
It seems only a matter of time before a big club, perhaps in the Premier League, snaps up Hato, with Ajax often selling their best young players eventually.
It will be interesting to see if Hato ends up at Chelsea or Arsenal, but perhaps Enzo Maresca’s side are now showing the strongest interest.
Jorrel Hato could be London-bound, but will he end up at Chelsea or Arsenal?
Hato could be an important addition to this Chelsea squad, with the west London giants in need of an upgrade on inconsistent performers like Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile and the injury-prone Wesley Fofana.
The Netherlands international would also surely be confident of regular playing time at Stamford Bridge, with the Chelsea ownership committed to a model of recruiting and developing the best young players from around the world.
Arsenal might also be seen as a tempting project for Hato as they’re more likely to be playing in the Champions League and competing for major honours in the near future.
However, the issue is that Hato would surely struggle to play as regularly at the Emirates Stadium, where he’d face competition from William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence, and Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori at left-back.
Still, if the likes of Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko leave, then that could mean there’s room for Hato to come in as well.
