There is one thing Chelsea have consistently doubled down on, the insistence on buying the best young talent in the world.

In Jorrel Hato and Xavi Simons, the club may be about to spend big on the two most exciting Dutch prospects in Europe.

Even then, these are two players who slightly shift the dynamic of Chelsea’s market approach. Both players, despite their age, play with a maturity and clarity that previous youth signings may not have possessed.

Are Chelsea finally signing only players we truly need and that are more plug-and-play experience-wise than what we’ve previously gone for?

In many ways, they still perfectly embody what Chelsea have been building: a squad full of technically gifted, tactically flexible, and highly coachable young players.

What is so different about these signings?

Hato is a left-sided centre back and left back. He is the ultimate backup to Marc Cucurella, who has had the (dis)pleasure of playing 4,344 minutes in club football alone last season.

Fundamentally, the man needs help. And Hato is not only help, but arguably the future.

Hato is widely regarded as a top talent, and everything I’ve seen points towards this being the case. 

Hato is already drawing praise not just for his composure, but for the all-around modernity of his game. He’s defensively solid and positionally intelligent, thriving both as a left-sided centre-back and as a left-back, of which his versatility that gives brilliant tactical flexibility.

He has the speed and physicality to overlap and join attacks when required, offering a real threat in wide areas. Technically, he’s also exceptional.

His passing range allows him to break lines from deep or switch play under pressure, and he’s impressively press-resistant.

These are qualities that make him ideal for systems built around heavy positional play and controlled, deep build-up. Hato is ultimately a brilliant blend of athleticism and intelligence that makes him almost a perfect fit for the demands of top-level football.

In addition to this, given Chelsea’s current attacking dynamics, we find ourselves in need of a Cole Palmer backup, especially after the recent departure of Joao Felix and the pending departure of Christopher Nkunku.

And, guess what? In Xavi Simons, the club have identified the exact profile we need and offers exactly what we want.

Arguably, Xavi Simons might offer extra on what we desperately need. He is creative, can carry, and can shoot very well from outside the box. 

Comfortable wide or central, Simons combines flair with end product. This is something too few of Chelsea’s recent attacking signings have balanced well.

Yes, the Bundesliga is hardly the best metric of translation between leagues, but from a sheer technical and ‘eye-test’ perspective, Simons has all the tools he needs.

He presses aggressively, carries the ball with purpose, and has the vision to unlock deep blocks, which is invaluable in the Premier League.

At a time when Chelsea are searching for final-third efficiency and creative consistency, Simons could very well be the key to unlock the door that’s shut Chelsea out from domestic success for years now.

Simons and Hato – any drawbacks?

For once, I write this section, almost struggling to really see any drawbacks in these signings – a pleasant change to my normal responses to Chelsea’s transfer business. I mean, they make total sense squad-profiling wise… 

I guess if you had to find a drawback, it’s that translation in quality from the Eredivisie and Bundesliga does not have a great success rate historically.

The physicality in the Premier League is miles ahead of both leagues, but in fairness, it is also ahead of pretty much every other top league.

Due to Simons’s small frame, he may take some time to adjust, but there are positives with this too… he can win fouls easily due to his agilty and nimble feet.

Jorell Hato may have some room to improve in an attacking point of view, but honestly? Both players are pretty much exactly what we need, and if they perform to the levels they are capable of, both will be remarkable additions to the squad.

So, will they take Chelsea to the promised land?

Maybe. They are signings that have a much higher chance of doing that than previous signings. They’re exactly what the squad need, and on top of that? They are top top talents.

I don’t think Chelsea will be winning the league this upcoming season, but if they do and if they do the season after? I have almost no doubts these two players will be right in the thick of it. 

At the end of the day, they’re still young and will need time to adapt to the pace and intensity of the Premier League. But that context makes the signings even smarter, especially when you consider they’ll likely start as backups to Cucurella and Palmer.

There’s no immediate pressure to deliver, and it gives them the perfect pathway to develop without being thrown straight into the deep end.