Chelsea and Liverpool have both deployed scouts to keep tabs on the progress of Ajax's rising star Jorrel Hato, according to a report.
The 18-year-old was believed to have been the subject of interest from Arsenal last year, as the Gunners sought to repeat their Jurrien Timber transfer trick from the summer 2023 window.
However, Hato elected to sign a long-term contract extension with Ajax last March, and he has gone from strength to strength in his homeland since penning fresh terms until the end of 2027-28 season.
The 2006-born sensation boasts three goals and five assists from 33 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 season, starting 17 Eredivisie matches and seven games in the Europa League.
Hato has predominantly played as a left-back this season but is also competent in the centre of defence, and despite signing him to a new deal, Ajax may struggle to retain his services for the 2025-26 season.
Liverpool, Chelsea leapfrog Arsenal in Hato race?
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According to TBR Football, both Chelsea and Liverpool sent representatives to watch Hato on two occasions this year, running the rule over his displays against Galatasaray (January 30) and Feyenoord (February 2).
Hato played the full 90 in both of those fixtures - which Ajax won 2-1 - and the report claims that Liverpool and Chelsea have been closely monitoring Hato's progress for a full year now.
The two Premier League giants are seemingly set for a straight head-to-head to secure Hato's signature, as Arsenal have reportedly cooled their interest in signing the 18-year-old this summer.
Hato has already amassed four goals and eight assists in 94 appearances for Ajax in all competitions, and the Rotterdam-born defender has set up one goal in five senior appearances for the Netherlands.
Why have Arsenal cooled interest in Hato?
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The Dutchman's talent may be undeniable, but the left-back position is arguably Arsenal's strongest area of the pitch at the moment, at least in terms of squad depth.
Hato's fellow teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly has unexpectedly made that position his own over new signing Riccardo Calafiori, while Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko are still on the books too.
Neither Tierney nor Zinchenko are expected to stay at the Emirates beyond the end of the season, but Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori's presences means that Mikel Arteta will still be well-covered at left-back.
Furthermore, Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu can also provide alternatives in that area; the latter is admittedly very injury-prone, but Arsenal did receive a fresh fitness boost on the first day of their Dubai training camp.
However, Hato's skills in a central defensive position could potentially prove useful to the Gunners, as William Saliba might soon be the subject of a world-record bid from a European superpower.
Ben Knapton
