Ajax director shares what club were planning to do with Jorrel Hato before Chelsea move

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Chelsea confirmed the signing of Jorrel Hato on Sunday, with the defender joining the Club World Cup winners on a seven-year deal.

Hato will give Chelsea more depth in the left-back position after the Blues finished last season with Marc Cucurella as their only real option there.

With the 19-year-old now at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s full focus will be on Xavi Simons.

RB Leipzig will want to keep hold of him, but Chelsea’s interest is not going away. Ajax also wanted to retain Hato’s services, but the Dutchman was desperate to move to west London.

• READ MORE: What Chelsea think is going to happen with Xavi Simons deal after attacker copies Jorrel Hato

Ajax technical director Alex Kroes says club wanted to keep Jorrel Hato for another year

Ajax’s technical director Alex Kroes has been speaking about Hato following his exit from the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Kroes has revealed that the Eredivisie club wanted to keep hold of the Netherlands international for at least another year, but he was keen on an immediate move to the Premier League.

“With Jorrel’s departure, we lose one of our key figures in defence,” Kroes told Ajax’s official club website. “He is not only a tremendous talent and a great player, but he also has an excellent character and personality.

“Ideally, we would have liked to keep him for at least another year, but we understand that he has now set his sights on this exciting adventure awaiting him in the Premier League. We wholeheartedly wish him well with this new challenge, are proud of what he has done for Ajax, and wish him every success in England.”

Chelsea will be delighted that they were able to agree a deal with Ajax to sign Hato in the end, as many other clubs were also interested in him.

It has been claimed that Real Madrid considered Hato, while the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool were also heavily linked with the player.

Ajax confirm final fee for Jorrel Hato

Following confirmation of Hato’s transfer to Chelsea, Ajax have shared the fee that they have received for their academy product.

The club’s official website states that the Conference League holders have paid €44.18m (£38.5m) for Hato.

It is thought that Ajax wanted more money than that, but Chelsea used Jurrien Timber as a benchmark after he moved from the Dutch side to Arsenal for a similar fee in 2023.

Even so, it is not the worst deal for Ajax, who have received almost £40m for a teenager who did not cost them a single penny. All in all, it is a transfer where you can say everyone has won.