The 17-year-old defender has been a rare bright spot in his side's grim 2023-24 campaign, leading to reports linking him with the Gunners
The most-recent January transfer window was certainly not one to remember. But, amid the tumbleweeds, some reports did surface that raised hopes that we could at least be in for a more exciting summer.
One such rumour was Arsenal being linked with a move for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato. In an ideal world, Mikel Arteta would have likely brought the 17-year-old to the Premier League last month. However, hamstrung by the club's expensive summer, the Gunners simply wouldn't have been able to make the move work.
It seems likely that Arsenal will reignite their interest in the summer, but what it is that has got Arteta so excited about the young defender? GOAL took a deep dive into Hato's recent development to find out…
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
On March 7 2006, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea were 15 points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, a Liverpool side containing Steve Finnan and Jermaine Pennant had just knocked a young Lionel Messi and Barcelona out of the Champions League and, most crucially for this profie, Jorrel Hato was born in Rotterdam.
Despite his talent, Hato somehow slipped through Feyenoord's net and instead ended up signing with the city's secondary club, Sparta Rotterdam. He did not stay there long though, switching to Ajax's youth academy in 2018.
The move required some consideration from the youngster, with the defender later reflecting: "At the time, I had to think about it for a while because I was comfortable at Sparta. [At Ajax], fortunately, I was well taken care of and could immediately be myself."
In 2022, after impressing through the age groups, he was handed his maiden professional contract – a life-changing event that kept him awake with excitement the previous night. "I knew I was going to sign my contract. My sleep was not optimal as a result, but I am super happy," he beamed.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
Hato got his first-team break towards the back end of the 2022-23 season. After enjoying a few cameos off the bench earlier in the campaign, he would end up starting Ajax's final six Eredivisie games. With nothing left to play for – Feyenoord had the league title sewn up by that point – blooding the youngster made sense, but his position in the first team was far from guaranteed for the following season.
However, a hectic summer in Amsterdam changed that; chaos is a ladder after all. Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez were sold to West Ham for sizeable sums, with 12 players arriving in the other direction. The key piece of business from Hato's perspective, though, was Jurrien Timber joining Arsenal.
This freed up a starting spot in the backline, and Hato made sure he did everything he could during pre-season to secure it. When his side's Eredivisie opener against Heracles rolled around, there he was at the heart of defence. Any doubts over whether he was ready to become such a key piece for Ajax were addressed that afternoon, with Hato seriously impressing. He even chipped in with an assist – albeit only a five-yard sideways pass before Jakov Medic thumped one in from long range.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
Since then, Hato has become indispensable for Ajax in what has been a hugely testing campaign for the Dutch giants. Amid a backdrop of boardroom chaos and controversy over the signings of sporting director Sven Mislintat – who replaced the disgraced Marc Overmars – their horrendous start to the season saw them drop into the relegation zone in October.
Unsurprisingly, manager Maurice Steijn paid with his job, with John van 't Schip taking over in an interim capacity in October, following a brief caretaker stint from Hedwiges Maduro. Michael Valkanis also had two games in charge when Van 't Schip was away in Australia attending his son's wedding.
Throughout all of this turmoil at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, there's been one constant – Hato. Amazingly, the defender has not missed a single second of his side's season in all competitions, even being handed the captain's armband during an Eredivisie victory over Almere City in November. He then started a Europa League clash against Brighton as skipper the following month.
Speaking after the latter game, Van 't Schip was full of praise for Ajax's youngest-ever captain: "[He's] special in the sense that he has been able to stand his ground for so long and that he continues to reach such a high level. Of course, he is still a young player, the youngest one, who still has a lot to learn, but if you look at what he brings, the way he defends, the way he can play football forward, he has a great future ahead of him."
He also praised Hato's conduct, adding: "We don't have to do a lot because he is an exemplary professional. Of course, he has fun with the boys and that's something that needs to happen because that makes sure you train happily. But he is also a very serious guy in the sense that he trains well, he takes care of himself. Many should see him as an example, especially the players in the youth academy."
In recognition of his prodigious club form, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman handed him a maiden senior cap against Gibraltar in November. "I was able to assess him better in the training sessions. There he had to defend Wout Weghorst and other attackers. I really liked that. He adapted very easily and plays with bravado. It’s nice that you can let those kinds of boys make their debut," Koeman said after the win.
Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
Despite their recent fall from grace, Hato's emergence from the youth academy proves that when it comes to forging the next generation of global stars, few clubs do it better than De Godenzonen. The teenager is very much of the Ajax mould.
Technically sublime and possessing a football IQ that defies his tender years, Hato is the archetypal modern defender. He has no issue breaking the lines with his passes and relishes pushing into midfield to help his side's build-up. This is reflected in the 94 percent passing accuracy he has registered in the Eredivisie this season, while he is also averaging over five progressive passes per 90 minutes.
Hato's ability to carry the ball is even more impressive. His quick feet and coolness under pressure means just one player, Feyenoord's David Hancko, has racked up a higher progressive carrying distance in the Eredivisie this season. Hato's ability to drive his team forward from the back has been pivotal to Ajax's resurgence under Van 't Schipp, with the Amsterdam outfit not losing a league game since he took the reins.
Defensively, there is a lot to like about Hato's game too. He does not go out looking for tackles, preferring to choose his moments to dispossess attackers. The fact he has been booked just three times in the league all season while committing only five fouls – despite playing every minute – speaks well of his discipline, particularly at such an early stage of his career.