As we approach the midpoint of the season, Chelsea’s campaign under Enzo Maresca can only be described as a rollercoaster of highs and lows.
On the positive side, the Blues have delivered some stunning performances, dismantling powerhouses like Barcelona and Liverpool, and even managing a gritty draw against Premier League frontrunners Arsenal while reduced to ten men.
Yet, these moments of brilliance have been undermined by shocking defeats to teams like Leeds United, Sunderland, Manchester United, and Brighton & Hove Albion, preventing Chelsea from emerging as true title challengers.
Adding to the frustration, several high-profile summer signings have failed to make a meaningful impact, with Jamie Gittens standing out as a prime example of a player struggling to adjust to the demands of the Premier League. But there’s another acquisition that could be labeled as an even more baffling and wasteful addition.
Gittens’ Rocky Start at Stamford Bridge
The buzz surrounding Chelsea’s capture of Gittens from Borussia Dortmund in the summer was palpable among supporters and experts.
This was, after all, a promising young English talent who had notched 17 goal contributions in 49 appearances for one of Germany’s elite clubs. His displays were so captivating that Sky Sports analyst Dougie Critchley hailed him as “England’s best left winger.”
Fast forward to now, and that initial excitement has fizzled out. While Gittens hasn’t been a complete flop, his contributions for Chelsea have been underwhelming at best.
Across 19 outings, amounting to 855 minutes on the pitch, the Reading native has managed just one goal and five assists—equating to a goal involvement every 3.16 matches, or roughly every 142.5 minutes.
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Even more telling, three of those six contributions occurred in the League Cup, two against newly promoted sides in the league, and one during a lopsided 5-1 thrashing of a ten-man Ajax.
Gittens’ Recent League Form
| Season | Appearances | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Goal Involvements per Match | Minutes per Goal Involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/25 | 32 | 1784′ | 8 | 4 | 0.37 | 148.66′ |
| 25/26 | 12 | 426′ | 0 | 2 | 0.16 | 213′ |
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Essentially, the 21-year-old has only shown up in low-stakes fixtures against inferior opponents, leading one analyst to brand him a “pointless signing.”
The Chelsea Signing That’s an Even Bigger Waste Than Gittens
Sadly for Maresca and the Chelsea faithful, several summer arrivals could be deemed ineffective—from Liam Delap, who has scraped together just one goal, to Alejandro Garnacho, whose output hasn’t outshone Gittens by much.
But what truly defines a “pointless” signing? It has to be one where a hefty transfer fee is shelled out for a player who barely sees the field, and that’s precisely the predicament with Jorrel Hato.
The Dutch defender arrived from Ajax for approximately £37m (reported around £40m in some outlets) amid considerable fanfare.
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Talent scout Jacek Kulig praised the teenager as an “immense” prospect, and his track record at Ajax justified the hype.
Hato’s Senior Ajax Record
| Appearances | Starts | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Goal Involvements per Match | Minutes per Goal Involvement | Points per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | 102 | 9121′ | 4 | 9 | 0.11 | 701.61′ | 1.86 |
All Stats via Transfermarkt
At just 19, the Rotterdam-born star had already featured in 111 competitive matches for Ajax, often wearing the captain’s armband, and earned six senior international caps for the Netherlands.
However, since touching down in West London, the adaptable defender has been largely sidelined, logging only eight appearances across all competitions—six as a starter.
His most recent outing was in a 2-2 Champions League stalemate against Qarabağ, where he bore some responsibility for both conceded goals.
This scarcity of minutes is baffling, especially given the underwhelming form of Maresca’s other defensive choices, including a notably shaky Tosin Adarabioyo.
From a financial perspective, this is nothing short of a nightmare. Chelsea invested £37m in what was supposed to be a long-term asset, but Hato’s value is plummeting at an alarming rate due to his bench-warming role. The lack of development and exposure is inexcusable, turning a promising investment into a depreciating liability faster than anyone could have anticipated.
While there’s still time for Chelsea to integrate Hato more regularly as the season unfolds, his current status as a high-cost spectator makes him appear as an even more futile signing than Gittens—proving that the proof of this financial blunder is indeed inexcusable.