There has been a lot of excitement around the reports that Jorrel Hato was in attendance for Liverpool's win over Ipswich on Saturday.

Multiple eyewitnesses think they saw the 18-year-old center-back in the stands at Anfield, and that is feasible considering Ajax did not have a game this weekend.

There is a strong Dutch contingent in the Liverpool squad, with three Dutchmen starting against Ipswich in Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo. Head coach Arne Slot also hails from the Netherlands.

Liverpool is being linked with a move for Hato in 2025, and judging by a video that circulated last year of the teenager greeting Virgil van Dijk, he may well relish the idea of linking up with his compatriot at Anfield.

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It's not clear where the footage is from, but it is presumably from a Dutch camp in 2024. Hato and Van Dijk were both included in all three of Ronald Koeman's squads for the Nations League meet-ups in September, October and November.

Hato looked chuffed as he shook Van Dijk's hand, and the pair could be seeing a lot more of each other in the future if Liverpool gets its wish.

That's because TEAMtalk is reporting that Liverpool could move for Hato during this January transfer window. The Reds had apparently initially planned to move for Hato in the summer, but are now considering swooping this month instead amid increasing competition for the teenager, including from Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Ajax would be reluctant to let Hato go this month but an offer of $31.5million or more would reportedly be enough to tempt the Amsterdam club to consider a sale.

Hato previously revealed that Ajax coaches told him to model his game on Van Dijk when he was younger, but he also spoke of his admiration for Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber, who he played with at Ajax.

Hato recalled: “Coaches told me that I always needed to look up to Virgil van Dijk, but when I played in the under-18s, I always looked up to Jurrien Timber.

“I played with him for six months before he left [to join Arsenal], and I learned so much from him. When I came into the first team, he was my mentor. I love his playing style, his calmness on the ball. And he is just a great defender in defending terms.”