Chelsea hellbent on derailing Arsenal defender deal as Arteta springs stunning hijack of his own

Chelsea have switched their centre-back focus to another target after Arsenal stole a march on them in the pursuit of Italy international Riccardo Calafiori, TEAMtalk have been told.

The Blues have been very keen on adding more players to their squad in a bid to help new manager Enzo Maresca achieve his goal of finishing in the Champions League positions next season.

Indeed, that is the task in front of the new Stamford Bridge chief and he will need to bring in quality reinforcements for that to work.

However, London rivals Arsenal have jumped ahead of them in the race to sign Bologna star Calafiori, with talks well advanced over an offer of €47m (£40m) rising to €50m (£42.3m). Indeed, the player is already reported to have agreed to personal terms over the move.

DON’T MISS: Marc Guiu: Why Chelsea have signed the ‘unstoppable’ Barcelona striker and everything you need to know about him

And with Calafiori seemingly no longer in the running to join up with Maresca, Chelsea now need to reassess and look at other targets. One particular name has come to the fore but presents more challenges, as sources are not convinced he would say yes to the move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea switch focus to Ajax star

Jorrel Hato is seen as a top talent and, at just 18 years of age, is viewed as another player who ticks all the boxes when it comes to the recruitment plans on the blue side of London. He is viewed as one of the best talents produced from the famous Ajax academy in some time. 

Hato has made the Chelsea transfer shortlist and has been discussed at the club, with multiple sources stating that he is a name who has been brought up numerous times in meetings. The difficulty is getting him out of Ajax and convincing him that Chelsea is the next best step in his career.

The Netherlands international played 44 times in the league for the Dutch giants last season and only signed a new deal in March this year. He has also been given guarantees that he will be a mainstay in their side next season and they look forward to developing him further.

He also has options with the likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid both adding him to their own shortlists, while Bayern Munich has also sent scouts to watch him multiple times this season.

READ NEXT: Chelsea look to ruthlessly replace Pochettino signing with star Cristiano Ronaldo loves

Indeed, Arsenal’s interest in Hato goes back a while for a player who can play multiple positions across the back four.

However, with the Gunners seemingly closing in on the impressive Calafiori, the door is now open for Chelsea to strike for Hato – if they can convince Ajax and the player himself to move away from his homeland.