LONDON (AP) — Club World Cup champion Chelsea has completed the signing of Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax in a deal worth a reported 37 million pounds ($49 million).
The 19-year-old Hato, who has been capped six times by his country, has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
He becomes the Blues’ eighth signing of the summer transfer window.
“I’m very excited,” Hato, who can operate in central defense or at left back, told the Premier League club’s website.
“I thought a lot about my future and wanted to take the next step in my career. Chelsea is the best place for me to do that so I’m very happy.”
Hato joined Ajax’s academy from hometown club Sparta Rotterdam in 2018 and signed his first professional contract aged 16 four years later.
He scored four goals in 111 appearances for the Eredivisie team, with his international debut coming as a substitute in a 6-0 win against Gibraltar in November 2023.
Chelsea starts its Premier League season on Aug. 17 at home to Crystal Palace.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Jorrel Hato of the Netherlands, centre, is in action during the UEFA Nations League Group A3 soccer match between Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Netherlands at Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut, File)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Riders from different Afghan provinces compete in the final of Afghanistan’s annual buzkashi tournament on the outskirts of Kabul, as spectators, including Taliban authorities, attend the event.
Buzkashi is a traditional equestrian sport in which riders score points by carrying a goat carcass — nowadays replaced by a fake goat carcass — across a goal.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Riders from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan teams compete in the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Afghan men attend the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders compete to score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Riders from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan compete in the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Riders from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan teams compete in the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Afghan men and boys attend the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders compete to score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Riders from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan teams compete in the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Taliban authorities attend the final match of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders compete to score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Afghan men cheer as they attend the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders compete to score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Riders from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan teams enter the field to compete in the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Riders from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan compete in the final of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport in which riders score points using a fake goat carcass, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
