Arsenal believe they’re favourites to sign Ajax wonderkid | OneFootball

Arsenal are still pushing for Jorrel Hato and believe they’re the favourites to sign him, despite the defender’s new contract with Ajax.

DORTMUND, GERMANY: Jorrel Hato of Ajax Amsterdam runs with the ball during the Pre-Season friendly match between Borussia Dortmund and AFC Ajax Amsterdam at Signal Iduna Park on August 06, 2023. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

Speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday that Arsenal still love Jorrel Hato as a potential signing.

Hato recently signed a new deal with Ajax, committing his future to the club until 2028, with no release clause in the contract. The Dutch club have a strong desire to keep him around.

Yet Romano reports that Arsenal are still following the player, and they believe he’s a top centre-back in terms of potential.

FC Volendam’s Deron Payne (L) fights for the ball with Ajax’s Jorrel Hato during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Ajax Amsterdam and FC Volendam at The Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam on November 2, 2023. (Photo by OLAF KRAAK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Romano claims the Gunners are still pushing for Hato’s signature, and they believe they’re the frontrunners for his signing. An eventual deal might not be this summer, but he remains an Arsenal priority whenever he’s available.

The same journalist added on Twitter that Arsenal have already been scouting Hato for months, and they continue to do so.

Ajax’s defender Jorrel Hato controls the ball next to Fortuna Sittard’s Mouhamed Belkheir during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Fortuna Sittard and Ajax at the Fortuna Sittard Stadium in Sittard on September 3, 2023. (Photo by GERRIT VAN KEULEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

The Athletic’s David Ornstein explained in January that Arsenal liked Hato for a winter transfer, but that the player couldn’t move before he was 18. He turned 18 in March.

Hence Arsenal had to wait, giving Ajax enough time to convince the youngster to stick around.

Hato has made 45 appearances for Ajax this season, racking up over 4,000 minutes. After a distrastrous start to the campaign, Ajax have rallied to move up to fifth in the Eredivisie table.