Arsenal is setting its sights on young defensive talent Jorrel Hato as a key target for the upcoming summer transfer window.
The 18-year-old Ajax defender has impressed at a young age, featuring prominently for the Dutch side in numerous games. According to Transfermarkt, he leads in appearances among players in his age range across the top 10 European leagues as of January.
Although previously linked to Arsenal in January, Hato opted to extend his stay with Ajax, and the club respected this decision to maintain good relations between the two sides.
However, recent developments suggest that Mikel Arteta views the Dutch international as the ideal candidate to reinforce the left-back position, especially given concerns over Oleksandr Zinchenko's defensive reliability.
Known for his vision, passing ability, and defensive prowess, the 1.82-meter-tall defender draws comparisons to former teammate Jurriel Timber in terms of versatility. Timber moved to Arsenal earlier this year but suffered a torn ACL shortly after his arrival.
With a current transfer value of £22 million, Hato aims to strengthen Mikel Arteta's defensive lineup in the upcoming campaign. Arteta is also eyeing other defensive targets, including Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Murilo of Nottingham Forest.
Speculations suggest that should the transfer materialize, Arsenal may offer additional compensation to reflect Hato's talent and potential impact on the team.