Chelsea chiefs have opened club-to-club talks with officials over signing a “fantastic” player, following a transfer decision from Arsenal which will have an impact on the race for his signature.
Chelsea transfer plans amid tight Champions League race
The race for a place in the top five is set to go down to the Premier League final day, making Chelsea’s crunch clash with rivals Nottingham Forest their most important game of the season.
New target: Chelsea now hatch plan to sign "powerful" PSG defender for £0
The Blues are aiming to sign a Paris Saint-Germain player on a free transfer this summer.
ByDominic LundMay 18, 2025
Five teams – namely Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Man City and Forest – are involved in the airtight battle to confirm a place in next season’s Champions League draw, with the result of this intense race also set to have a crucial impact on BlueCo’s transfer plans for next season.
Enzo Maresca recently admitted in a press conference that qualification for Europe’s most prestigious competition will have a knock-on effect when it comes to their recruitment plans, and Chelsea wish to be ambitious in the market yet again.
As per journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have some “big plans” they’re already working on and wish to bring in a number of new players. The plan within Stamford Bridge is to ideally seal a couple of their most desired signings before the Club World Cup begins, and they’ll have a short window to do so.
A special edition window will be open from June 1 to June 10, allowing Chelsea to register new arrivals before the CWC takes place, leaving little wonder we’re seeing reports of the Blues getting busy early doors.
Chelsea reportedly made Dean Huijsen an offer to join them from Bournemouth, but with the 20-year-old now off to Real Madrid, attention now turns to alternative defensive targets. One of them, according to multiple sources, is Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato.
Chelsea open talks with Ajax over signing Jorrel Hato
The Netherlands international has featured at left-back throughout the 2024/2025 campaign for Ajax. However, before Francesco Farioli utilised him in a different position, the highly-rated teenager was predominantly a centre-back.
Todd Boehly is allegedly keen on Chelsea signing versatile players who can cover multiple areas (Simon Phillips), so Hato would fit the bill in that respect, and come in as a significant central defensive upgrade as well as an alternative to Marc Cucurella.
A deal for him would apparently cost somewhere in the region of £46 million, so in terms of cost, the defender could be an astute option.
That is according to CaughtOffside, who also boldly state that Chelsea have opened talks with Ajax officials over signing Hato.
While Hato is on Liverpool’s list of targets as well, they’re currently prioritising a deal for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, and Arsenal have decided to cool their interest in the player after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s excellent breakthrough campaign.
This call from the Gunners, not to mention Liverpool’s chase for Kerkez, could free up a Chelsea run at signing Hato, with CaughtOffside describing Maresca’s side as the favourites to strike a deal.
Hato is held in very high esteem by those within the beautiful game, with Jordan Henderson lavishing praise on the Dutchman as a tireless worker.
“It’s crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he’s on the pitch and also off the pitch,” Henderson said.
“He’s a very mature person, works hard, fantastic player, and yeah, he has a bright future ahead of him, I’m sure. I think he just needs to continue to do what he’s he’s been doing.”