He'd be great with Simons: "Immense" £52m talent now wants to join Chelsea
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca may have already signed several players this summer, but he is far from finished in the transfer market.
With more incomings than outgoings, there could be problems with a bloated squad next term. However, there is still a need to move out players such as Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling before the window closes.
The rumour mill has been constant over the previous few weeks, with the Blues being linked with players right, left and centre.
Karim Adeyemi, Tyler Dibling and Malick Fofana have all been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as Maresca continues his charge of further bolstering his attacking options.
Alexander Isak was another who was mentioned following the Swedish striker looking for a way out of Newcastle, but this move would be extremely unlikely.
The most likely signing could well be that of Xavi Simons, as the Dutchman appears to be dreaming of joining the Blues, ahead of a potential move.
Splashing out a reported fee of around £56m could certainly be worth it in the long haul….
What Xavi Simons will bring to Chelsea
Simons has been used as an attacking midfielder throughout his career, but since joining RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, the 22-year-old has tended to operate on the left flank.
With Chelsea having Cole Palmer, who is arguably one of the finest attacking midfielders in Europe, opportunities for Simons would likely come on the flank.
Last season, Simons scored 11 goals and grabbed eight assists in all competitions, with nine of those goal contributions coming from the left wing.
When compared to his positional peers in the Bundesliga, however, he ranked highly for a number of key metrics.
Indeed, the Dutchman would rank in the top 6% for progressive passes (5.86) per 90, along with ranking in the top 15% for shot-creating actions (4.52), In the top 3% for through balls (0.96) and for carries into the final third (2.97) per 90, it is evident that Simons shone for the German side.
Combining this with a 20% goal conversion rate in the top flight, as well as creating 12 big chances while averaging two key passes per game, Simons would make a huge difference to the Chelsea side next season.
If a deal can be secured in the coming days for the youngster, Maresca would surely be happy with his attacking options ahead of the campaign starting in a few weeks.
Next on his list will be signing a defender or two in order to shore up the backline. Several names have been mentioned over the previous few weeks, but it looks as though the club have only one target in mind right now.
Jorrel Hato is that player. Could Maresca secure his signature in the next few days?
Chelsea edging closer to another exciting signing
The Blues have been keen on the Ajax starlet since before the window even opened, but it now looks as though they could be closing in on a move.
Fabrizio Romano provided an update on X regarding Chelsea’s pursuit of the player, saying that he has “informed the club about his desire to join Chelsea.”
This is good news for Maresca, and it will surely only be a matter of time before the club announces his signing.
The Dutch side will demand a fee of around £52m in order to sanction an exit, but given how much Chelsea have spent thus far, another £50m+ won’t hurt.
He has sparkled for Ajax since making his debut, and while Hato can operate either as a centre-back or left-back, Maresca will likely unleash him on the left.
If both Hato and Simons move to Stamford Bridge, it could form the basis of a potent combination down the left flank, that’s for sure.
Why Chelsea must sign Jorrel Hato
Hato is still only a teenager, having just turned 19 in March this year. He is nowhere near the finished article, but judging by his statistics from last term, the youngster has a wonderful future ahead of him.
Defensively, Hato was impressive in the Eredivisie. Not only did he win 52% of his total contested duels per game, but the defender also averaged 1.9 tackles per game and was dribbled past on just 0.3 occasions per match in the top flight.
Games played
11
33
31
Goals scored
0
1
2
Assists
0
2
6
Touches per game
57.4
94.8
67.2
Accurate passes per game
42.6 (91%)
72.8 (93%)
45.2 (90%)
Total duels won per game
3.1
5.5
4.1
Clean sheets
1
5
11
Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed Hato last season for his “immense quality” while also saying that he is a “fantastic mix of complete full-back, playmaking full-back, and ball-playing centre-back” and this could work in Maresca’s favour.
With Simons on the left wing, Hato has all the qualities – as evidenced by Kulig – to form a decent partnership with his compatriot.
From an attacking perspective, Hato recorded six assists in the league last term, along with averaging 0.6 key passes and creating six big chances.
Furthermore, the teen even ranked in the top 6% for assists per 90 (0.21) when compared to his positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions.
Add in the fact he ranks in the top 11% for touches in the opposition penalty area (2.33) per 90 and in the top 2% for through balls (0.17) per 90; Hato has all the attacking requirements to star on the left flank behind Simons. That’s for sure.
It would be an expensive signing for someone so young, but Maresca has grand plans for Hato, and he will go from strength to strength over the next few years.
Should the club sign both Hato and Simons, they will be a force to be reckoned with next season. There is no doubt about that.
The next few weeks will certainly be interesting indeed for the Chelsea faithful.
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