Arsenal have shown their interest in signing Ajax’s defending talent Jorrel Hato. As per the Telegraph, Mikel Arteta has been eyeing the wonderkid for a while. The Spaniard is looking to reinforce the Gunners’ defence in the long term with the potential signing of the Dutchman. At 17 years of age, Hato is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting prospects with a dynamic skillset. He can even play a couple of different positions including centre-back or left-back. Hato had a phenomenal first full season with Ajax where the kid was even asked to don the captain’s armband in one of the matches. The Dutchman can emerge as a distinct upgrade over Jakub Kiwior, who will likely be on the move at some point this year.
Jorrel Hato began his senior career playing for Jong Ajax, the club’s B squad, towards the beginning of last season. Following a World Cup break, Jorrel Hato was allowed to impress in the first team. His senior debut came at the age of 16 when his side took on Den Bosch in the KNVB Cup. Hato came on as a substitute in the second half of the game as his team picked up a 2-0 victory. He made his debut for Ajax in Eredivisie against SC Cambuur also as a substitute. This made him the third youngest player for Ajax to debut in the top flight of Dutch football. He was then allowed to start in the KNVB Cup final against PSV. However, Ajax ended up losing that game on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
This season Jorrel Hato has become one of the primary starters for Ajax. He has appeared for all the 25 games that Ajax have played in the 2023/24 season. The young teen also has one goal to his name which he scored in Ajax’s victory over Vitesse in November last year. Speaking of his flare, Hato is a quick-footed strong defender. He is over six feet tall and has excellent aerial ability. While there are not many weaknesses to Hato’s game, the defender can still sometimes be caught ball-watching. His passing, tackling and blocking abilities are also at prime with a top-quality defender. The only aspect that Hato currently lacks is football experience at the highest level of the game.
Jorrel Hato currently has 18 months remaining on his contract with Ajax. The Dutch club will be looking to tie down the future star for a new long-term deal. If Arsenal do manage to strike a deal with Ajax for Hato, this would be the second player they would’ve signed from the Dutch side in the last six months. The previous player signed was Jurrien Timber who is currently recovering from an ACL injury.
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