Chelsea transfer blocked by FIFA thanks to international red tape as route to January move made clear
Chelsea will have to take action elsewhere if they are to sanction a loan move for young defender Jorrel Hato in January.
Hato has struggled to adapt to life at Chelsea since completing his £37million move from Ajax in the summer.
The 19-year-old is highly rated in the Netherlands and has already made six appearances for the first team, but the Premier League has proven a big step-up from the Eredivisie.
Defensive problems have been rife for the Blues this season, especially after Levi Colwill was ruled out for most of the season after injuring his knee in training.
Problems again came to the fore as Benoit Badiashile made a critical mistake as Chelsea lost 2-1 to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Why FIFA rules will block Jorrel Hato’s move
FIFA’s rules will interfere with Roma’s interest in Axel Disasi next month, as Chelsea look to offload the defender.
The Frenchman is yet to appear in a single match-day squad this season, with the Blues attempting to force him out of the club by leaving him in the so-called ‘bomb squad’.
Roma are interested in a loan, which would at least get Disasi‘s wages off the books for six months.
But FIFA have rules surrounding international loans, prohibiting a club from sending more than six players out at once.
Chelsea already have Mike Penders, Mamadou Sarr, Kendry Paez, Nicolas Jackson, David Datro Fofana, and Aaron Anselmino on international loans, so would need to arrange a domestic move.
The same situation will affect Hato, who, as The Telegraaf reported on Sunday, is number one on Ajax’s list for January.
The defender’s former club are eager to bring him back on loan, but Chelsea’s attitude towards such an arrangement is not yet clear.
The route Chelsea must take to complete Hato move
If Chelsea are to complete another international loan in January, they will need to cancel one of the six that they have already established.
Such action in the cases of Sarr, Penders, Fofana and Jackson is all but out of the question.
The former two are thriving at Strasbourg, and Chelsea would be hesitant to disrupt their development mid-season.
Fofana is enjoying a strong campaign for Turkish club Karagumruk, too, having scored five goals across 12 appearances. Jackson moved to Bayern Munich with an obligation to buy, and negotiating his return would be complicated.
Anselmino could be an option, but the defender’s absences from the Borussia Dortmund team have been related to injury, rather than performance.
| Kendry Paez | Ligue 1 2025-26 |
| Appearances | 13 |
| Starts | 4 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Chances created | 6 |
| Duel success % | 27% |
Paez, however, is struggling at Strasbourg. The midfielder has been deployed in a host of positions, and has started just four of 16 Ligue 1 games this season.
The 18-year-old is highly rated, and could be an ideal candidate for a move within the English Football League in January – paving the way for Hato’s return to Ajax.