Better than Sarr: Chelsea in contact for "one of the best young talents"

Chelsea’s second signing of the summer is through the door. Last week, the Blues completed a deal for Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, activating his relegation release clause and bringing him to Stamford Bridge, beating the likes of Manchester United in the race for his signature.

Now, signing number two is also in the building for Enzo Maresca and his squad. Centre-back Mamadou Sarr has made the move to West London from their sister club, Strasbourg, who were one of the standout clubs in Ligue 1 last summer. The defender has signed with the club for eight years and could be in line to play in the Club World Cup.

Sarr might not be the only defender Chelsea sign this summer. They are already linked with another centre-back.

Chelsea’s next centre-back target

So, it seems clear that Maresca is intent on strengthening at the back this summer. After the addition of Sarr, the Blues seem likely to pursue another defender, although they might not be in before the pre-Club World Cup deadline on Tuesday.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are set to make a move for Ajax and Netherlands international Jorrel Hato. They have reportedly ‘had contacts with Ajax in the last few days’ regarding a potential move for the Dutch talent.

Despite the contact and willingness to get a deal done, they will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals. Hato has ‘long been on the radars of both Arsenal and Liverpool’, with Newcastle United also showing interest.

They have all ‘asked for information on the player’ ahead of a potential summer move, which could cost as much as £42.3m.

Why Hato would be a good signing

Football scout Antonio Mango summed up just how good Hato is by describing him as “one of the best young talents in football”. Indeed, that is the kind of impression the 19-year-old has made during his short career so far.

Last season was a strong campaign by the talented young defender. He amassed 50 appearances for Ajax in all competitions, mainly playing as a left-back, but also slotting in at centre-back, a position in which he equally excels. He managed three goals and six assists in total.

To put into perspective the kind of player Chelsea are looking to sign, Hato was Ajax’s youngest ever captain back in November 2023, at the age of just 17. He has now skippered his boyhood club three times, showing incredible leadership at such a young age.

Hato might even be a better signing for Chelsea than their new defender Sarr. The 19-year-old France under-20 international is certainly an exciting addition, and impressed for Strasbourg under Liam Rosenior last season.

The youngster played 28 games in all competitions, with all but one of those appearances coming in Ligue 1. It was certainly a successful season for the new Blues defender, who helped keep ten clean sheets in the top flight of France as his side qualified for the Conference League.

However, Hato managed to keep more clean sheets in an Ajax shirt than Sarr managed for Strasbourg under Rosenior. The Dutchman played his part in 14 clean sheets in the Eredivisie last term.

When looking at the underlying data on FBref from Hato and Sarr’s campaigns in 2024/25, there are further numbers which suggest the Ajax star is a better player than the new Chelsea man. For example, Hato averaged 2.78 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to 2.39 each game for Sarr.

It seems as though, for a talent perhaps better than Sarr, £42.3m is a steal for Hato. He has all the tools needed to make it to the very top, and the fact that he has already captained Ajax at such a young age is even more of a reason to sign him.

With the Blues looking to bolster at the back, this is a fantastic option for Maresca’s side, which can definitely add quality and potential to their defensive options.

Related

Chelsea contact £80m ex-Man City starlet who’d join with Jamie Gittens

The west Londoners are looking to sign multiple attackers.