The highly rated teenager has already captained the Dutch giants (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal are considering making a move for Ajax’s 17-year-old wonderkid Jorrel Hato as they eye up defensive reinforcements in January, according to reports.
The north Londoners are currently a little light on options at the back, with Jurrien Timber still recovering from a long-term knee injury and Takehiro Tomiyasu not due to return until after the Asian Cup – which might not be until the middle of February.
Although Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his defensive options, he does not want to make a short-term signing that could potentially disrupt the balance of the squad.
According to The Athletic, that has seen Arsenal turn their attention to Ajax teenager Hato, who could provide cover and competition in the short-term as well as having a long-term future at the club.
The youngster is very highly rated after a breakout campaign in Amsterdam and has been a rare bright spark in an otherwise disappointing season.
Hato has made 16 appearances in the Eredivisie and started all six of Ajax’s matches in the Europa League, even captaining the side on two occasions despite his tender years.
Such has been his rapid rise over the first half of the campaign, he was even handed a call-up to the senior Netherlands squad and made his international debut against Gibraltar as a half-time replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
Hato already has a full international cap for the Netherlands (Picture: Getty)
Hato can play either as a left-sided centre-back or at left-back and it is felt he would be an ideal complement for Timber – who can do a similar job on the right side of the defence.
The teenager’s potential arrival would give Arteta a variety of options to utilise in his back-line, though may raise questions over the future of Jakub Kiwior.
This time last year, the 23-year-old swapped Spezia for north London in a £21million deal but has struggled to force his way into a settled back-line and is now attracting interest from the likes of Juventus, Napoli and AC Milan.
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Another factor that attracts Arsenal to Hato is the fact he has come through the academy at Ajax, with the Gunners believing the two clubs share similar philosophies – something that aided Timber’s swift adaptation when he first arrived.
Any move for Hato will not come cheap, however, which could be a problem for Arsenal after several big-spending windows, while more experience might be beneficial ahead of another potential title fight in the run-in.
Arsenal are also big fans of Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt – another former Ajax player – as well as Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, though again those deals could be infeasible due to the prices involved.
MORE : Mikel Arteta names the one thing Arsenal must improve after draw at Liverpool
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The highly rated teenager has already captained the Dutch giants.