On The LINE24

Chelsea have reached a landmark agreement to sign 19‑year‑old Netherlands international Jorrel Hato from Ajax for an initial fee of £37 million (€43 million) . The move, which includes performance-based add‑ons and a sell‑on clause, is subject to approval by Ajax’s supervisory board before becoming official. Hato has already agreed on personal terms and will fly to London for a medical once the final green light is given. The Dutch versatile defender is set to sign a seven‑year contract , tying him to Chelsea through 2032 . This will mark Chelsea’s eighth arrival of the summer—following the signings of Liam Delap, João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Estêvão Willian, Dário Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and another young talent—and pushes the club's summer spending well over £200 million . Hato has made 111 first-team appearances for Ajax and became their youngest-ever captain at just 17. Comfortable both at centre-back and left-back , he is expected to challenge and provide cover for Marc Cucu...