According to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal They are pushing to sign Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato and he remains a priority target for them.
The 18-year-old is one of the best young talents in European football and recently committed his future to Ajax by signing a new contract until mid-2028. Despite this, Arsenal are monitoring the youngster ahead of the summer.
Speaking in his Here we go Podcast, Roman has revealed that the Gunners are pushing to sign the teenager and believe they are favorites in the race to sign him.
He said: “Arsenal are also working on their future, they have many wonderful children in their academy, but there is one player they are looking for and he is playing for Ajax, he is a central defender and he is Jorrel Hato. “Hato signed a new contract with Ajax a few months ago, Ajax are obviously more than happy with him and hope to keep Hato at the club over the summer.”
“But Arsenal are still following him, they have followed him several times. They believe he is a top centre-back in terms of potential, so keep an eye on Arsenal. They are still putting pressure on Hato and believe they are the favorites in the race to sign him. We will see if they can achieve it this summer, or if it has to be in the future, but Hato remains one of the priority names on Arsenal's list.
Great talent
Hato made his first-team debut last year as a 16-year-old and has since become a mainstay for the Eredivisie giants. The child prodigy has gone from strength to strength and has sometimes been given the captain's armband for the maturity demonstrated in his performances at such a tender age.
This season, the young Dutchman has finished an impressive 74 passes per league game with a success rate of 93%. He has won 2.1 tackles, 5.4 duels per outing and has made more than 5 recoveries. He is primarily a left-footed center back, but has also played as a left-back.
arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta He can see him as a strong competitor to Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence, while Hato could also establish himself as a regular left-back. The big question is whether they can convince Ajax to part ways with him, taking into account that he has just signed a new contract.
There is no release clause in the latest contract extension, but Hato is valued at around £19m per Transfer market. However, with his age and enormous potential, he may require greater transfer quota to test Ajax's determination this summer.
If Ajax keep him next season, Arsenal will no doubt continue to keep an eye on the youngster with a view to a future transfer.
