Chelsea deceived Ajax in Jorrel Hato transfer talks

Chelsea snapped up Jorrel Hato from Ajax in one of the deals of the summer, with the Blues spending tens of millions to secure the future of the young Dutch talent. In reality, the figure they paid was not nearly enough.

Hato broke into Ajax’s first team at a young age. He didn’t waste time breaking into the Amsterdam side as a regular starter and even wore the captain’s armband. These were all signs that Ajax could ultimately command a huge fee for him.

This evidence was strengthened last season. Francesco Farioli, Ajax’s boss last term, moved Hato out of central defence and into the left-back role. It was an inspired decision. He shone in his new position and rapidly emerged as a key player for the Dutch giants.

By now it was clear that Hato would eventually make a huge transfer. That ultimately came sooner than expected as Chelsea approached Ajax this summer. In turn, this led to Hato holding internal talks with the club. He told Ajax he was keen on the move, which he pushed for.

Negotiations between the clubs were not easy, though. Ultimately, an agreement was reached. Chelsea paid €44m for the defender.

Although Ajax were able to raise a substantial figure through the transfer, it appears that the Amsterdam side should have held out for even more.

Even when the move was made, Hato was sold for a sum lower than his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV), which stood at €46.3m at the time.

Chelsea’s victory in the transfer talks has since been magnified. Hato’s ETV has skyrocketed since his switch to Stamford Bridge. FootballTransfers’ data shows that the young defender’s worth is now €60.7m – more than €16m more than the Blues paid for the player.

This enormous increase cannot be seen in isolation from his new contract. Hato signed a with Chelsea until 2032, meaning any clubs intent on luring him away will be forced to pay a hefty fee. Furthermore, he’s only 19 years old, meaning he has a long career ahead of him and plenty of room for further improvement.