Premier League giants Liverpool are well-positioned to win the race to sign Ajax defensive sensation Jorrel Hato.
Arne Slot has certainly had an impressive start to life at Liverpool, as the club are on the verge of winning the Premier League in his first season in charge. While things are going great at this point, they do have a lot of planning to do.
Not only do they need to sort out the future of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, but the Reds also need to plan for life without Andrew Robertson. The Scottish full-back might not be around for long, despite the fact that he is only 31.
He has been at the club since 2017 and has been an integral part of all the success they have had. But on a personal level, things haven’t been going well, as his form has noticeably declined. The Reds need to look for an ideal replacement, and Dutch journalist Maarten Wijffels believes Jorrel Hato is the perfect fit for their project going forward.
“Andy Robertson will retire soon. Maybe at the end of this season or after, but Hato would be the perfect left-back for Liverpool,” Wijffels said on ESPN’s Voetbalpraat via Soccernews.
Volkskrant journalist Willem Vissers echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Slot is well aware of Hato’s abilities from his time in the Dutch top flight and may have even spoken to people at the club about him.
Vissers added: “He’s been there too and he’s undoubtedly spoken to people from the club.”
Kenneth Perez also endorsed the idea that Liverpool should go after the teenage full-back at all costs. “Arne Slot would be crazy not to bring in Hato, if they can pay him.”
Hato might be just 19, but he is already a Dutch international, and more importantly, he has over 100 first-team appearances. While he prefers playing out wide on the left flank, he can even feature in central defence when needed.
The Dutch defensive sensation is rock solid in defence, and he can even cause problems for the opposition defence from the flank. Vissers went on to highlight his impact on Ajax:
“When you see how he goes along in attacks and how many assists and goals he has already to his name. He is involved in a lot of goals.”
Not only will the Ajax defensive mainstay be a perfect fit for Liverpool, but the Reds are believed to be well-positioned to sign him. There are high chances of him moving to Anfield in the near future. But signing him won’t be easy, as the Dutch club will look for a massive fee for one of their most valuable assets, and there will be a lot of competition for his signature.