The unrelenting, unrivalled Ajax academy has produced another gem. Jorrel Hato has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence since graduating to the senior team just two years ago, following in the footsteps of legends like Ruud Krol and Frank de Boer, as well as the club's most recent defensive success stories, Matthijs de Ligt and Jurrien Timber.
At just 19, Hato already has 111 appearances under his belt for Ajax, and has the potential to reach the very top if he stays on his current trajectory. It looks as though the Netherlands international will take the next big step in his career this summer, with Premier League giants Chelsea now pushing hard to secure his services.
Hato's agent, Humphry Nijman, has confirmed to De Telegraaf that the Blues have already made contact with Ajax and are now holding direct talks with the defender to try and agree personal terms. The newly-crowned Club World Cup champions have already spent around £170 million ($231m) on Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr in the current window, but it's no exaggeration to say that Hato could be the most important signing of all if they can get a deal over the line.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea may only have to pay £35m ($47m) for Hato, which would represent one of the biggest bargains of the last decade. To explain why, GOAL has taken a deep dive into the Netherlands international's development at Johan Cruyff ArenA...