Liverpool are reportedly set to ‘put pressure on’ some of their top-flight rivals in the transfer race for one of the most coveted teenage talents in Europe.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano last month, Anfield chiefs have turned their attention towards a potential swoop for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato after missing out on Dean Huijsen, who’s signed for Real Madrid.
Chelsea have seemingly been the frontrunners in the race for the 19-year-old and are understood to have opened talks with Johnny Heitinga’s side for the versatile operator (CaughtOffside).
Liverpool won’t let Chelsea have a free run at Hato
An update has now emerged on the pursuit of the Dutch teenager, courtesy of a source speaking to CaughtOffside on the condition of anonymity.
They outlined that the Stamford Bridge hierarchy have made contact with Ajax for Hato, but Liverpool and two other top-five Premier League clubs aren’t prepared to give the Blues a free run at the player.
The source stated: “Chelsea are aware that other Premier League clubs are closely monitoring Hato’s situation. Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle have already gathered information and remain attentive. This puts pressure on Chelsea, as waiting too long could allow other teams to gain an advantage in the race.”
The teenager could be available for a fee of roughly €50m (£42.1m) this summer, with Ajax set to firmly insist on that price but reportedly resigned to losing him in the coming months.
Hato is exactly the kind of defender Liverpool should be targeting
Hato only turned 19 in March but has already accrued a huge amount of senior experience for his age, playing more than 100 times for the Amsterdam giants’ first team and winning six caps for Netherlands.
Kevin Lux, Netherlands content manager for Transfermarkt, has described the teenager as a ‘born leader’ with ‘all the qualities of a potential world-class defender’ who’s renonwed for his dribbling and passing abilities and also boasts a tremendous reading of the game for someone so young.
As per FBref, he ranked among the top 1% of full-backs in Europe last season for pass completion (89.4%), while his presence in the 88th percentile of that subset for successful aerial duels per 90 minutes (1.77) attests to yet another string to his bow.
Available for a modest fee, capable of playing on the left flank or centrally, remarkably experienced for his age and boasting an impressive cross-section of qualities on the pitch, Hato seems like exactly the kind of option that Liverpool should be seeking to add to their defensive ranks.
They probably have ground to make up on Chelsea if they’re to be in with a genuine chance of signing him, juding by the anonymous source’s information, but at least they seem prepared to pounce if the Blues were to stumble in their pursuit of the player.
The immediate focus for Richard Hughes is on closing deals for Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, but a potential swoop for the Ajax defender ought to be high on the sporting director’s to-do list as well, particularly if it’s at the expense of direct Premier League rivals.
