-
News
- 25 minutes ago
Man Utd urged to sign young Chelsea defender by former coach
News
An ex-Man Utd coach has urged his former club to sign a top prospect who has seen his career stall since a move to Chelsea.
Rene Muelensteen, who coached the club's youth teams from 2001-2006 and its senior team from 2007-2013, wants Man Utd to sign Jorrel Hato, according to the Metro. Hato is a left-footed defender who joined Chelsea from Ajax for €44.2 million in the summer 2025 transfer window.
Hato appeared in 96 matches in his final two seasons at Ajax, his boyhood club, with 50 appearances in 2024/25. So far at Chelsea, he has played 22 times, with only three starts in 12 Premier League appearances.
"It is a disappointing move for Jorrel Hato because he was absolutely outstanding for Ajax at the time," Meulensteen said. "He was very, very young and was the captain, which says a lot about the trust the manager put in him in terms of his personality and his leadership qualities."
Current ETV
Jorrel Hato
D (L)
Chelsea
Jorrel Hato
D (L)
Chelsea
ETV Range
€50.4M - €61.6M
The six-time Netherlands international has found himself behind Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto in the pecking order at left-back. He is also capable of playing at centre-back.
At 19 years old, Hato has time on his side, but he will want to find momentum once again after having gone from ever-present for Ajax to a bit-part player in southwest London.
Hato can provide depth and versatility to Man Utd
Man Utd could do with adding depth on the left side of their back line.
Left-footed centre-back Lisandro Martinez has not exceeded 21 Premier League matches in each of the last two full seasons, and he has appeared in just 15 of Man Utd’s 26 league matches played in 2025/26.
Patrick Dorgu, signed as a left-back, has become a much better player since moving further forward on the wing. First-choice left-back Luke Shaw is injury-prone, although he has started every single one of Man Utd’s Premier League matches this season. Fellow left-back Tyrell Malacia has yet to work his way back into the team after missing more than a full season with a knee injury.
Man Utd have shown a preference for signing Ajax products, especially in defence. Martinez signed directly from the Dutch giants, and Matthijs de Ligt, who became Ajax captain as a teenager, joined Man Utd after spells at Juventus and Bayern Munich.
Martinez is a fan favourite when he can stay on the pitch for extended spells. Hato has a cooler head, but he can serve as either an attacking or possession-based fullback.
With injury concerns on the left side of defence and more matches on the horizon next season, with the club on course for European football, time will tell if the Man Utd hierarchy want to listen to former coach Muelensteen and move for Hato.
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
