Brilliant young Ajax talent Jorrel Hato has cast aside interest in his services from Liverpool by making clear his dream of leaving the Dutch giants and moving to the Premier League with Arsenal instead.
Despite being a mere 17 years of age, Hato is making serious waves at the Dutch giants and is rated as one of his country’s outstanding young prospects. Indeed, having debuted for Ajax in January of this year, Hato has now clocked up 19 first-team appearances, 17 of which have come in the Eredivisie.
Appearing in every minute so far this season, unfortunately for Hato, his emergence in the Ajax side has come at a bad time with the team enduring a woeful start to the new season. The Dutch giants are currently sat 16th in the Eredivisie with just one win and three defeats from their six matches to date.
That form has seen serious questions raised over the future of under-pressure head coach Maurice Steijn, who could reportedly be replaced at the helm by Manchester United No 2 Mitchell van der Gaag.
However, that bleak form has not halted Hato’s emergence with the player one of the few shining stars in what has been a bleak season, thus far.
Naturally, that form has seen the player catch the attention of a number of Premier League sides, all eager to get their hands on the next big thing.
Capable of left-back as well as in his preferred position of centre-half, it was reported last month that Jurgen Klopp has instructed Liverpool scouts to monitor Hato closely with a view to a future move.
Indeed, one of Klopp’s major priorities in the next two transfer windows will be to sign a new left-sided centre-half with Piero Hincapie a big-money target.
Hato’s emergence has also seen the player earn recognition on the international scene too, where he has recently been called into the Netherlands’ Under-21s squad. And many of his admirers believe it is just a matter of time before the player is granted his full international debut.
As a result, Hato can certainly reflect on his career projection with some optimism, and it would come as no surprise were the player to one day make the move into the Premier League.
However, it appears a move to Anfield is not on his agenda with Hato making clear his dreams of one day signing for Arsenal.
The Dutch giants saw another of their talented homegrown stars in Jurrien Timber make the move to north London this summer. And while Timber suffered a serious injury on debut that could rule him out of the entire season, his impact on Hato has clearly been felt.
The Gunners paid Ajax €40m (£34m) for Timber and now Hato has admitted that a move to Emirates Stadium remains his ultimate goal.
Hato told ELF Voetbal as cited by Sports Central: “Unfortunately, he [Timber] was seriously injured in his first Premier League game for Arsenal, but he is still young and has a bright future ahead of him. “In any case, the move to Arsenal was a wonderful one for him. “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.”
Timber debuted for Ajax in March 2020 and it was just over three years later, on 14 July 2023, that Timber made the move to Arsenal.
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