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Chelsea 'leading race' for £40m Ben Chilwell replacement as Arsenal, Real Madrid suffer setback

:Headline: Chelsea 'leading race' for £40m Ben Chilwell replacement as Arsenal, Real Madrid suffer setback:
Chelsea reportedly steal a march on Real Madrid and Arsenal in the race to sign 18-year-old Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, who is valued at £40m.
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Chelsea have reportedly stolen a march on Real Madrid and Arsenal in the race to sign 18-year-old Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, who is valued at around £40m by the Dutch giants.

Enzo Maresca's defensive ranks have been hit by injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile in recent weeks, and there are fears that the former could miss the rest of the season with a hamstring problem.

Fofana recently rejected Maresca's suggestion that he might not play again before the campaign is up, affirming that he is targeting a return for March, but there are no guarantees that he will be back by the spring.

Alongside the injuries to Badiashile and Fofana, exiled left-back Ben Chilwell will leave the club either this month or in the summer, and Axel Disasi has also been tipped to make a swift exit amid links with Serie A.

As captain Reece James cannot be trusted to stay fit either, defensive reinforcements may be high on the Blues' agenda, and CaughtOffside claims that the Blues are at the head of the queue to sign Hato.

Chelsea told to pay £40m for Hato?

The 2006-born defender has already played 90 times for Ajax, registering four goals and eight assists in the process, while coming up with three goals and five assists from 29 matches in the current campaign.

Hato has played across the backline during the embryonic stages of his career, but the 18-year-old has exclusively featured on the left-hand side this term, both as a wing-back and out-and-out left-back.

The Netherlands international could therefore serve as a direct replacement for Chilwell at Stamford Bridge, and both Arsenal and Real Madrid have supposedly fallen behind Chelsea in the race for the teenage 'prodigy'.

Hato's youth and versatility apparently makes him a highly attractive prospect for the Blues, who will reportedly have to fork out between £40m and £45m for a player that is still contracted to Ajax for another three-and-a-half seasons.

Ajax's technical director Alex Kroes is reportedly keen to see Hato remain in Amsterdam for the long term, but he accepts that the club would not be in a position to turn down such an offer.

Which players could Chelsea sell for Hato funds?

A £40m or £45m package should not be problematic for a club of Chelsea's financial ilk, but sales may still have to be made first as the club tread carefully around Financial Fair Play regulations.

As well as the aforementioned Chilwell and Disasi, Chelsea are also working to find a new club for Cesare Casadei, one of three midfielders who could seek pastures new in the next few weeks.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka have also been tipped to leave Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window, and the long-term future of Christopher Nkunku remains clouded in uncertainty too.

Over the summer, the club loaned out no fewer than 13 players, a few of whom - namely Kepa Arrizabalaga, Raheem Sterling, Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah - could soon be let go permanently.

Chelsea demolished Morecambe 5-0 in the third round of the FA Cup at the weekend and return to Premier League action at home to Bournemouth on Tuesday evening. body check tags ::

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Read more about Jorrel Hato Wesley Fofana Benoit Badiashile Enzo Maresca Axel Disasi Ben Chilwell Reece James Alex Kroes Cesare Casadei Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Carney Chukwuemeka Raheem Sterling Kepa Arrizabalaga Armando Broja Trevoh Chalobah Christopher Nkunku Football
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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool25186160243660
2Arsenal25158251222953
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest25145641291247
4Manchester CityMan City25135752351744
5Bournemouth25127644291543
6Chelsea25127647341343
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2512584233941
8Fulham2510963833539
9Aston Villa2510873538-338
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2591063838037
11Brentford25104114342134
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs25931349371230
13Crystal Palace257992932-330
14Everton257992731-430
15Manchester UnitedMan Utd2585122835-729
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2576122947-1827
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2554163554-1919
18Ipswich TownIpswich2538142350-2717
19Leicester CityLeicester2545162555-3017
20Southampton2523201957-389
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