Chelsea spent €46.5 million to bring Jorrel Hato from Ajax in August 2025. Seven months later, that investment is quietly reshaping the entire left side of the club’s defense, and Marc Cucurella is the one feeling the squeeze.
The 19-year-old Dutchman, signed on a contract running through 2032, has gone from promising acquisition to cornerstone of Chelsea’s defensive blueprint faster than most teenagers adjust to a new city.
Hato’s rise and Cucurella’s decline
Cucurella’s form has reportedly taken a noticeable dip since Christmas 2025. Hato’s versatility is central to why Chelsea’s hierarchy views him as essential. He’s capable of operating as both a left-back and a center-back, which in modern tactical setups is the defensive equivalent of a Swiss Army knife.
Earlier in 2025, Chelsea reportedly considered keeping Cucurella specifically to mentor Hato during the Dutchman’s transition to the Premier League. That idea sounds generous on the surface, but it also tells you everything about how the club’s internal hierarchy was already shifting. You don’t assign someone a mentoring role when you see them as the long-term starter.
