Liverpool To Compete With Chelsea For The Services Of This Defender: Should Slot Get Him On Board? | OneFootball

In a recent report, journalists Daniel Feliciano and Ben Jacobs claimed that Liverpool remain keen on signing Ajax defender Jorrel Hato this summer. It has been stated that the Reds would have to rival Chelsea in the race to land the Dutch left-back this off-season.

Hato’s Impressive Form In Dutch Football

Hato enjoyed a decent run of form at the Dutch club in the previous campaign as he produced a series of impressive displays on the left side of their defence. The 19-year-old scored three goals and earned six assists in 50 appearances for Ajax last season across all fronts.

The Rotterdam-born talent did well to make 58 tackles, 35 blocks and 22 interceptions in the Dutch Eredivisie. He was even tidy when distributing the ball from the back after completing 89.4% of his attempted passes in the Dutch top tier (stats via fbref.com).

His current contract at the Dutch club will run out in the summer of 2028. Therefore, the Reds would have to make a big offer if they want to recruit him this off-season.

ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – NOVEMBER 19: Jorrel Hato of Netherlands (L) vies with Ivan Sunjic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (L) during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A Group A3 match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Netherlands at Bilino Polje stadium on November 19, 2024 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

Should Liverpool Boss Arne Slot Get Hato On Board?

Hato is a tough-tackling defender who can time his challenges well to earn the ball back for his side on the defensive third of the field. He usually puts his foot through the ball when needed and can even chip in by scoring and creating a few important goals for his team.

The Dutch sensation is primarily a left-back but can also fill in as a central defender if asked to do so. However, there are some question marks over whether he would be able to cope with the physicality and high intensity of the Premier League if Liverpool manage to snap him up in this summer transfer window.

We can expect Hato to add more quality to Liverpool head coach Arne Slot’s backline. He is good enough to compete for a regular first-team spot at Anfield next season.

At 19, the future looks quite bright for Hato as long as he continues to improve with each year. Thus, it makes sense for the Reds to go all out to get him on board this summer.