Ajax fear they’ll lose talented defender Jorrel Hato next summer, but Arsenal are unlikely to be among his suitors this time around.
Jacob Whitehead reports for The Athletic that senior sources at Ajax fear they’ll lose Jorrel Hato next summer.
Ajax were only willing to consider a “monster offer” for Hato last summer, and the player’s representation made it clear to potential suitors that he didn’t want to leave. But it’s expected that teams will start circling again next year.
Arsenal were previously one of Hato’s foremost suitors, but Whitehead reports that the signing of Riccardo Calafiori means a new pursuit of the player in 2025 is unlikely.
It was Hato himself who put the rumours of a 2024 summer transfer to bed back in June, confirming that he only wanted to play for Ajax in the 2024/25 campaign.
“No, I’ll just play for Ajax next season,” Hato said then. “I haven’t finished learning here yet. And I want to win prizes with Ajax. That was my dream when I came here.”
Hato had remained one of Arsenal’s top targets despite agreeing a new contract with Ajax, and club sources felt they were the frontrunners for the signing if he decided to leave.
But the player’s own wishes ultimately pushed the Gunners in another direction.
Hato has made 23 appearances for Ajax this season, playing exclusively at left-back. He’s also started to become a regular for the Dutch national team, making the starting lineup in two of their last four games and coming off the bench in the other two.
The player’s value is only continuing to increase, and perhaps it’s now beyond the limits of what Arsenal were hoping to pay.
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