Young, versatile and impressive: defenders with said qualities rarely become available and rarer still come cheap. That looks as if it will be the case for Jorrel Hato, who has made it onto the radars of several of Europe’s giants this summer.
Including that of Real Madrid. The Spanish giants had added Hato to their list of premier talents to strengthen the defence, sending scouts to watch the Ajax star. At just 19, and already a fully fledged international with the Netherlands, Hato performed well in the Nations League against Lamine Yamal. He also has the ability to play at left-back, something valued in the Spanish capital with doubts over the position currently. Given that versatility and his comfort on the ball, it has been mused that he could be a long-term successor to David Alaba.
It appears that Hato’s most likely destination is the Premier League though. According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are the most advanced with the signing of Hato. They have held talks with his representatives and presented a six-year contract offer, and the Dutchman is though to be considering their proposal.
Liverpool and Newcastle United are listed alongside Real Madrid as clubs tracking his progress, but the strongest rivals are thought to be Chelsea. This latest move puts the Gunners in the lead for the €50m-rated defender.
Following the signing of Dean Huijsen for €60m, it would be a surprise if Los Blancos sanctioned another major move for a central defender in the same summer. More so without the exit of one of their higher earners, such as Alaba or Antonio Rudiger.
If they see Hato as a left-back, then he could potentially make sense should their other options in the position collapse. Currently they seem likely to sit this race out though.
