Right throughout Todd Boehly’s reign as owner, Chelsea have not held back on signing elite young talents.
It has been a clear transfer strategy at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues looking to bring players to the club regarded as some of the hottest prospects in world football.
Perhaps the best example of this is Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian, who will join Chelsea for £29m this summer. He was described as a “wonderkid” showing all the “signs of a top player” by football scout Antonio Mango. He is just one of the young talents the Blues have signed under Boehly’s ownership.
This summer, Chelsea could add Ajax defender Jorrel Hato to that list, if recent reports are to be believed.
The latest on Chelsea’s pursuit of Hato
It would be an excellent signing if Chelsea can bring Hato to Stamford Bridge this summer. According to a recent report from Sky Sports, the Blues are ‘seriously considering making a move’ for the Dutchman this summer, and have ‘longstanding’ interest in signing him.
However, they will face competition from two Premier League giants, with Sky Sports also suggesting that newly-crowned champions Liverpool, and Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal are also interested.
In reality, it is not hard to see why the West Londoners are so keen to bring Hato to the club. At just 19 years of age, he is a full international with the Netherlands and has played 108 times for Ajax already.
Described as a “magnificent talent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Hato has played 28 times in the Eredivisie this season, scoring twice and grabbing six assists. He has also captained the club three times, a superb achievement at 19.
Chelsea do not have a clear path to signing Hato, and will face stiff competition from Liverpool and Arsenal if they are to do a deal.
However, if they are not able to sign the Dutchman, then an alternative may be hiding in plain sight in the academy.
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Chelsea's in-house Hato alternative
If the Blues can’t sign Hato himself, then why not promote their very own “Hato alternative” from the academy? At least, that is what football analyst Ben Mattinson has coined Chelsea’s young defender Ishe Samuels-Smith.
The West Londoners poached Samuels-Smith from Premier League rivals Everton, for a reported £4m two seasons ago. The highly-rated youngster has recently renewed his deal at Stamford Bridge until 2031.
At just 18 years of age, Samuels-Smith is yet to have any kind of first-team involvement on the pitch. Yet, he has featured on the bench three times this term under Enzo Maresca, which included two games in the Premier League back in February.
For the U21s, the youngster has had a key role to play. Skippering the side on five different occasions, Samuels-Smith has featured 23 times this term, scoring two goals and grabbing four assists from full back.
In fact, that is one of the standout features of his game. Just like Hato, the Manchester-born defender can play anywhere across the back line, even slotting in a right-back this term despite being left-footed. He has also played further forward as a wing-back.
The 18-year-old has impressed in the EFL Trophy this season for the Blues, as the stats on Sofascore reflect. In three games in the competition, he put in 3.7 tackles, made two interceptions and won two aerial duels per game.
Passes completed
46
138
Long balls completed
2.7
8
Key passes
1.3
4
Tackles
3.7
11
Interceptions
2
6
Aerial duels won
2
6
It surely does not seem like a first-team debut for Samuels-Smith can be too far away. The Blues academy skipper is clearly a talented player, putting in some excellent performances this term and showing great versatility.
If they miss out on signing Hato, then there might not be a better alternative to the Dutchman than their talented academy star.
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