Transfer news: Who is Jorrel Hato? The Ajax teenage sensation linked with a January move to Arsenal

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Three goals & four assists this season 

©TM/IMAGO

Ajax’s record at producing top talent through their world-renowned academy stretches back over many decades. Across the years the likes of Johan Cruyff, Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids & Wesley Sneijder have all emerged from the youth ranks of the Amsterdam club. Whilst the Eredivisie doesn’t boast the financial capacities of the the Premier League or LaLiga, the club’s production line of homegrown stars are often developed at the club and then sold on for huge profits. Jurrien Timber was one of the latest on that conveyor belt, when he was sold to Arsenal for €40m in the summer of 2023.

The latest star to emerge at Ajax is 18-year-old defender Jorrel Hato. The youngster has already played 81 first-team matches for Ajax and represented his nation, the Netherlands, on three occasions. He is in his countries squad for the November International break fixtures, and could add to his caps against Hungary this Saturday. He is the fifth youngest player of all-time to put on an Ajax first-team shirt, after making his debut at 16 years old in January 2023, and now, at just 18, Hato is already one of the star performers for Ajax. Able to play at centre-back or left-back, he has played every game this season for the four-time Champions League winners, and has even contributed three goals and four assists from defence. Heavily linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid, it seems a matter of time before Hato is playing in one of Europe’s top-five leagues.

Who is Jorrel Hato?

Jorrel Hato, at just 18 years of age, has been one of Ajax’s most consistent players this season. Last term, in an admittedly disappointing season for the Dutch club, he was a mainstay at centre-back in the Ajax side. However, this season, under new manager Francesco Farioli, Hato has been mainly deployed at left-back. Hato has played 82% of Ajax’s league minutes so far this term. The only U18 player playing in the top 10 leagues who has played more minutes in all competitions than Hato’s 1,751, is 17-year-old Barcelona sensation Pau Cubarsí (1,894).

He has been likened to Arsenal’s Timber due to his versatility, and capability of playing as a centre-back or a left-back, and in the summer following Timber’s move to North London, Hato was quoted saying, “In any case, the move to Arsenal was a wonderful one for him [Timber]. It is also my dream to one day make such a transfer, but I realise that I still have a very long way to go.” Hato already has a market value of €30 million, and that seems like a figure that will continue to rise.

“His physique is years ahead of him”

Transfermarkt content manager in the Netherlands Kevin Lux tells us more about teenage sensation Hato: “The impact Hato has made so far is the fact that he seems to be very mature for his age. He is just 18 years old, but his physique is years ahead of him. He also has a lot of technical ability in his game, a quality that makes you very popular in Dutch football as a defender. He can dribble, pass and see the game from the defensive line. Apart from that, he still shows the talent of a great defender. 

“There are still some flaws and mistakes in his game, but that’s not unusual considering his age. He also is a born leader, proven by the fact that he already was captain at Ajax youth levels on several occasions. He has all the qualities of a potential world class defender. Hato is very comparable with Arsenal defender Timber. Strong in defence, good vision and good passing. He likes to build attacks from the defensive line.”

Liverpool, Arsenal or Real Madrid – who will sign Hato?

According to many media reports, Liverpool have made Hato one of their top transfer targets, as the Reds look for a long-term replacement for the ageing but still brilliant Virgil van Dijk. Manager Arne Slot is thought to be an admirer, but will no doubt face stiff competition. Hato has reportedly been a long-term target for Arsenal, with his versatility seen as perfect for Mikel Arteta’s team. Real Madrid are also said to be huge admirers of the player, and are very short in defence as things stand – made worse by Éder Militão’s recent ACL injury.

Kevin Lux believes Hato would be a smart signing for a top club, but maybe not this January window: “With the question of whether Hato would be a good fit for the Premier League, I would say: probably somewhere in the future. He most certainly is a great talent, but is still only 18 years old and still needs to develop further with Ajax. Eventually he will have the qualities to succeed at the Premier League level, which is the hardest competition in the world. Not a lot of people succeed there, especially when you go there too soon.”

“So my opinion is that he is better to follow the Jurriën Timber path and stay at Ajax for a few more years, until he is the leader of the team, the most respected defender in the Eredivisie, and has shown that he can also perform at the highest level in European football: the Champions League. That will probably take at least another season. He still has a lot to learn. You can see his potential, but you also see when you watch his matches regularly that he still has a few mistakes here and there – mistakes that don’t cost you in the Eredivisie, but in the Premier League they will be deadly.”