Chelsea lead Arsenal for Ajax star who can become the new Declan Rice

Robin Bairner

• 22 Feb 2025 11:05 GMT
• 9 min read

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are among the Premier League giants following the progress of 16-year-old Ajax sensation Jorthy Mokio.

The teenage defensive midfielder is enjoying a breakthrough campaign in Amsterdam and already scouts are clamouring to catch a glimpse of the promising youngster.

EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool determined to beat Arsenal to sign Norwegian wonderkid

Current ETV

Jorthy Mokio

D (C)

Jong Ajax

Jorthy Mokio

D (C)

Jong Ajax

€2.1M

ETV Range

€1.6M - €2.5M

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A string of major Premier League sides have sent scouts to watch Mokio’s recent games, with Chelsea appearing to hold the most interest in the breakout sensation, who exploded onto the scene thanks to a stunning Europa League performance against Union Saint-Gillois in Belgium.

It is unclear how Mokio would feel about a quick departure from Amsterdam, but it is worth noting that because of Brexit regulations the Premier League sides cannot sign him until he turns 18. This means no deal is possible until the summer of 2026.

Mokio promises to be an outstanding piece of business for the Eredivisie giants, who signed him from Gent on a free transfer last summer. Although his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €2.1m, it is expected that this will not nearly be enough to pry him away from Ajax.

The midfielder has only played seven matches for Ajax but is also attracting competition from Barcelona and Bayern Munich, who wanted to sign him last summer. Both are back in the race and, unlike the Premier League teams, can make an immediate move for him.

For his part, Mokio is under contract with Ajax until 2027, so they are in no hurry to sell the defender. Indeed, they may decide that if the are in the Champions League next season, the value of talents such as Mokio, Mika Godts and Jorrel Hato will increase rapidly.

Mokio the next Declan Rice?

Mokio is a young defensive midfielder who is showing a resemblance to Declan Rice at this early stage of his career.

Mokio v Rice: Playing style (2024/25)

This is fitting given that two of his greatest admirers in the Premier League are linked with Rice, who plays for Arsenal and came through the youth system at Chelsea before leaving for West Ham.

Mokio fits the trend of both Arsenal and, particularly, Chelsea, who have tried to sign promising young players