Enzo Maresca and Jorrel Hato (Photo by Dan Mullan, Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
Chelsea are closing in on the signing of talented young defender Jorrel Hato, but it’s not yet clear what his best position will end up being.
The 19-year-old looks like he could give the Blues a good option in central defence and at left-back, but it seems his role has already been mapped out.
See below as journalist Ben Jacobs has posted about Hato being viewed as a left-back by Chelsea, with one of his former coaches Francesco Farioli also quoted as explaining why he worked hard on converting the Netherlands international into more of a full-back than a centre-back…
Chelsea view Jorrel Hato as a left-back first and foremost. They agree with former Ajax coach Francesco Farioli, who moved him from centre-back.??
?? Farioli: “Jorrel started as a central defender, but under our guidance he became a full-back at national team level. This kind of… pic.twitter.com/2cpGRsaagn
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 31, 2025
Hato is described as a player with “excellent technical skills” who is probably too short to have the best career as a central defender.
Jorrel Hato Player Profile
Farioli is also quoted as saying: “His future lies more as a left-back, a position that requires both attacking and defensive qualities and fits better with his characteristics.”
Can Jorrel Hato start regularly for Chelsea?
Jorrel Hato in action for the Netherlands (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)
Hato would have competition from Marc Cucurella for the left-back spot at Chelsea, so it’s not clear if the Dutchman will get a lot of playing time at Stamford Bridge.
Cucurella isn’t exactly the best left-back in the world, so there might be a chance for Hato to overtake him as Enzo Maresca’s first choice.
Still, the Spain international has also improved a lot in recent times, so Hato might be taking a bit of a gamble with this move, unless he ends up getting a decent amount of playing time at…
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