Jorrel Hato: Ajax's latest teenage talent destined to reach the top amid Arsenal transfer interest

On March 7 2006, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea were 15 points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, a Liverpool side containing Steve Finnan and Jermaine Pennant had just knocked a young Lionel Messi and Barcelona out of the Champions League and, most crucially for this profie, Jorrel Hato was born in Rotterdam.

Despite his talent, Hato somehow slipped through Feyenoord's net and instead ended up signing with the city's secondary club, Sparta Rotterdam. He did not stay there long though, switching to Ajax's youth academy in 2018.

The move required some consideration from the youngster, with the defender later reflecting: "At the time, I had to think about it for a while because I was comfortable at Sparta. [At Ajax], fortunately, I was well taken care of and could immediately be myself."

In 2022, after impressing through the age groups, he was handed his maiden professional contract - a life-changing event that kept him awake with excitement the previous night. "I knew I was going to sign my contract. My sleep was not optimal as a result, but I am super happy," he beamed.

Hato got his first-team break towards the back end of the 2022-23 season. After enjoying a few cameos off the bench earlier in the campaign, he would end up starting Ajax's final six Eredivisie games. With nothing left to play for - Feyenoord had the league title sewn up by that point - blooding the youngster made sense, but his position in the first team was far from guaranteed for the following season.

However, a hectic summer in Amsterdam changed that; chaos is a ladder after all. Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez were sold to West Ham for sizeable sums, with 12 players arriving in the other direction. The key piece of business from Hato's perspective, though, was Jurrien Timber joining Arsenal.

This freed up a starting spot in the backline, and Hato made sure he did everything he could during pre-season to secure it. When his side's Eredivisie opener against Heracles rolled around, there he was at the heart of defence. Any doubts over whether he was ready to become such a key piece for Ajax were addressed that afternoon, with Hato seriously impressing. He even chipped in with an assist - albeit only a five-yard sideways pass before Jakov Medic thumped one in from long range.

Since then, Hato has become indispensable for Ajax in what has been a hugely testing campaign for the Dutch giants. Amid a backdrop of boardroom chaos and controversy over the signings of sporting director Sven Mislintat - who replaced the disgraced Marc Overmars - their horrendous start to the season saw them drop into the relegation zone in October.

Unsurprisingly, manager Maurice Steijn paid with his job, with John van 't Schip taking over in an interim capacity in October, following a brief caretaker stint from Hedwiges Maduro. Michael Valkanis also had two games in charge when Van 't Schip was away in Australia attending his son's wedding.

Throughout all of this turmoil at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, there's been one constant - Hato. Amazingly, the defender has not missed a single second of his side's season in all competitions, even being handed the captain's armband during an Eredivisie victory over Almere City in November. He then started a Europa League clash against Brighton as skipper the following month.

Speaking after the latter game, Van 't Schip was full of praise for Ajax's youngest-ever captain: "[He's] special in the sense that he has been able to stand his ground for so long and that he continues to reach such a high level. Of course, he is still a young player, the youngest one, who still has a lot to learn, but if you look at what he brings, the way he defends, the way he can play football forward, he has a great future ahead of him."

He also praised Hato's conduct, adding: "We don't have to do a lot because he is an exemplary professional. Of course, he has fun with the boys and that's something that needs to happen because that makes sure you train happily. But he is also a very serious guy in the sense that he trains well, he takes care of himself. Many should see him as an example, especially the players in the youth academy."

In recognition of his prodigious club form, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman handed him a maiden senior cap against Gibraltar in November. "I was able to assess him better in the training sessions. There he had to defend Wout Weghorst and other attackers. I really liked that. He adapted very easily and plays with bravado. It’s nice that you can let those kinds of boys make their debut," Koeman said after the win.

Despite their recent fall from grace, Hato's emergence from the youth academy proves that when it comes to forging the next generation of global stars, few clubs do it better than De Godenzonen. The teenager is very much of the Ajax mould.

Technically sublime and possessing a football IQ that defies his tender years, Hato is the archetypal modern defender. He has no issue breaking the lines with his passes and relishes pushing into midfield to help his side's build-up. This is reflected in the 94 percent passing accuracy he has registered in the Eredivisie this season, while he is also averaging over five progressive passes per 90 minutes.

Hato's ability to carry the ball is even more impressive. His quick feet and coolness under pressure means just one player, Feyenoord's David Hancko, has racked up a higher progressive carrying distance in the Eredivisie this season. Hato's ability to drive his team forward from the back has been pivotal to Ajax's resurgence under Van 't Schipp, with the Amsterdam outfit not losing a league game since he took the reins.

Defensively, there is a lot to like about Hato's game too. He does not go out looking for tackles, preferring to choose his moments to dispossess attackers. The fact he has been booked just three times in the league all season while committing only five fouls - despite playing every minute - speaks well of his discipline, particularly at such an early stage of his career.

Hato himself identified an area that he needs to improve on back in 2022 when he signed his contract, saying: "Defensive heading is something I need to start working on. I head the ball to the wrong colour too often."

Two years on, this is something that probably requires further work, particularly if Hato wants to survive in some of Europe's more physical leagues in the future. As he is so young, there is plenty of time for him to fill out, but his current lack of physicality means it's easy to envisage him struggling against a bruising forward.

This is reflected in the numbers to an extent too, with Hato winning just 54% of his aerial duels in the Eredivisie this season. His one-on-one defending could use some fine tuning too, with only around half of his attempted tackles ending in success in 2023-24.

In an interview last year - before he was handed the captain's armband - Hato also revealed his desire to become a better communicator on the pitch, saying: "I need to coach more, much more, I think. That's what I'm focusing on the most right now. At Ajax, we want to form a real team on the field, so you have to communicate well. You have to demand things from each other, but also help each other, making things easier for all of us."

Hato looks set to follow in the footsteps of Matthijs de Ligt, Timber and Lisandro Martinez; all technical defenders who earned big-money moves to top European clubs after impressing in Amsterdam. Comparisons to De Ligt, who also captained Ajax at a young age, are understandable but Hato's ability to play across the backline means he should be likened to Timber too.

Lucas Hernandez is another kindred spirit. Like the France international, Hato has spent the majority of his fledgling career splitting his time between central and left-sided defensive roles. Both are supreme passers too, though the youngster has some development to do if he wishes to become as good a defender as the World Cup winner.

It's a matter of when, not if, Hato leaves Ajax for pastures new. And Arsenal will be desperate to ensure it's them who managed to tie the wonderkid down on a long-term contract this summer.

There were at least seemingly handed a boost in 2023, when Hato said: "The move to Arsenal [for Timber] was a wonderful one for him. It is also my dream to one day make such a transfer, but I realise that I still have a very long way to go."

Hato would seemingly suit Mikel Arteta's system perfectly. Outside of Oleksandr Zinchenko, the Gunners' options at left-back are far from ideal, with Jakub Kiwior being asked to fill in there to mixed success this season in the absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu. Hato would have no issue 'inverting' into midfield, as Zinchenko does so successfully, and is growing as a pure defensive presence with every passing week.

What could complicate matters is Hato extending his contract at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, as has been hinted at in the Dutch press. As evidenced by their recent sale of Antony, Ajax are tough negotiators, and if a release clause is omitted from this new deal, the Gunners - and any other clubs looking to join the race for his signature - could be forced to pay a premium.

But, leaving financial considerations aside for a moment, there's little doubt that Hato is destined for the top. Before his 18th birthday, he's already become an undroppable player for one of the continent's most storied clubs and possesses all the attributes to dominate the game for years to come.