Jorrel Hato and Arne Slot (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan, Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Liverpool are reportedly on the hunt for a new left-back ahead of the summer transfer window, with Ajax wonderkid Jorrel Hato one of the names on their list.
The Reds could do with replacing the ageing Andrew Robertson in the near future, and it looks like this has indeed been earmarked as a priority for the next transfer window.
Hato is not necessarily looking like being the top target right now, but he’s one of the names mentioned in a report by the Daily Mail.
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The talented 19-year-old has impressed at Ajax and the Mail also notes that he was recently spotted at a game at Anfield.
The report insists this was not due to transfer talks or anything of that nature, with Hato invited by his friend Ryan Gravenberch.
Is Jorrel Hato the left-back Liverpool need?
Jorrel Hato in action for Ajax
Jorrel Hato in action for Ajax (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
Hato surely has a big future in the game, but it doesn’t seem that clear if he’s quite the right fit for how Liverpool play.
The Mail’s report also mentions Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez as a top target, and he perhaps looks like he’d be more suited to Arne Slot’s tactics.
Still, it makes sense to at least consider Hato, who can also fill in at centre-back if needed.
That could perhaps be useful for LFC in the near future as they have club captain Virgil van Dijk approaching the end of his contract.
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Hato could therefore offer Liverpool an option to replace either Robertson or Van Dijk, meaning that someone like Kerkez could perhaps be signed as well.
It will be interesting to see how this saga develops, especially as other top clubs will also surely be in the race for Hato if he’s available.
The Netherlands international has also been linked with Arsenal before, and the Gunners might have more of a need for him as one imagines there’ll be doubts over the likes of Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior this summer after a lack of playing time.