Footage re-emerges of Jorrel Hato battling Joao Pedro, Chelsea fans will be super excited

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Chelsea are closing in on a much-needed defensive acquisition to add to their summer of signing quality attackers for Enzo Maresca’s squad.

The Blues have been strongly linked with the signing of Jorrel Hato from Ajax, with the player reportedly keen on a switch to Stamford Bridge.

Hato is expected to replace Renato Veiga, who is still very likely to join Atletico Madrid this summer despite them splashing plenty of cash already.

After Hato has told Ajax he wants to leave, there is an expectation that the deal will be done due to an excellent relationship held between both clubs involved.

Jorrel Hato dominated previous battle vs Chelsea’s Joao Pedro in Europe

The defender would be joining Maresca’s side alongside a host of new names, with one of them being Joao Pedro.

The Brazilian has already made a real impact on proceedings for the Blues. Pedro starred at the Club World Cup despite only joining at the quarter-final stage.

The two will be familiar with each other after meeting in the Europa League when the attacker was at Brighton, with them sharing a great battle in those games.

As shown in a compilation from the Europa League’s official TikTok from 2024, the Dutchman won a number of physical battles with Pedro, who can certainly handle himself in a one-on-one battle.

The clip gives a great showcase of what Chelsea fans can expect to see from their potential new signing, who is expected to provide cover at left-back and centre-back.

The results when Joao Pedro faced Jorrel Hato

Despite seemingly winning the individual battle between the two, Hato’s side did not come out on top in the two meetings against Brighton.

The Seagulls won both games 2-0, with Pedro opening the scoring in the first game just before half-time.

Ajax have struggled in Europe in recent years, and were dumped out of the Europa League in emphatic fashion at the Round of 16 stage by Eintracht Frankfurt last season.

Former Chelsea transfer target Hugo Ekitike scored in that tie, however he will be lining up against the Blues next season after joining Liverpool.