Arsenal: What Jorrel Hato has already said about 'dream' transfer move

Jorrel Hato has already shared his thoughts on a potential future transfer to Arsenal.

Standard Sport understands that the young Ajax defender, 17, is being targeted for a move to north London which would likely come in the summer transfer window rather than this month.

Hato would be quickly following in the footsteps of former team-mate Jurrien Timber, who also swapped Ajax for Arsenal last year in a deal worth £38million before unfortunately picking up a serious knee injury on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest back in August.

And the teenager, who began his football journey at local club Sparta Rotterdam, previously described the chance to make such a switch as his "dream" after enjoying a fine start to his senior club career in the Eredivisie.

“Unfortunately he [Timber] was seriously injured in his first Premier League game for Arsenal, but he is still young and has a bright future ahead of him,” Hato told Dutch publication ELF Voetbal back in October.

“In any case, the move to Arsenal 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.”

Arsenal are not alone in pursuing a deal for Hato, who has already made 40 senior appearances across all competitions as a graduate of Ajax's famed youth academy, having been handed his debut last January.

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Hato, who turns 18 in March and can play either as a centre-back or on the left-hand side of defence, has already made history as the youngest player ever to captain Ajax, having done so in both domestic and European competition so far this term.

He also earned his first senior international call-up to the Netherlands squad under Ronald Koeman back in November, making his debut as a half-time replacement for Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk during the 6-0 drubbing of Gibraltar in Euro 2024 qualifying in Portugal.