Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal now want to sign 19y/o defender after missing out on Huijsen, making calls
Arsenal have reached out to Ajax to be informed on the situation of Jorrel Hato after missing out on Dean Huijsen, according to Italian transfer expert and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Real Madrid pipped the Gunners to the 20-year-old defender, signing him from Bournemouth ahead of other suitors, and the North London club are moving on to Hato.
The 19-year-old versatile defender has been on the radar of Arsenal for a while, but they will face competition from Chelsea for his services.
The teenage sensation already has six caps for the Netherlands senior national team and has played almost 120 games for Ajax.
Hato plays at both centre-back and left-back, and his versatility and huge potential have always attracted Arsenal.
He was impressive at both ends of the pitch for the Eredivisie club during the 2024-25 campaign, weighing in with three goals and six assists in 50 appearances.
Hato already has plenty of experience at his age and the Gunners could do with his quality as they look to bolster their squad depth at the back following the departure of Kieran Tierney.
The Dutchman is comfortable on the ball and is an excellent passer, and he has what it takes to impress in the Premier League.
With Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba the first-choice centre-back pairing at Arsenal, Hato could be open to moving to where he is guaranteed regular playing opportunities at this stage of his career, and it will be intriguing to see how the North London club plan to convince him to choose them ahead of Chelsea and others.
He is a defender with a great future ahead of him, and signing him will be huge for the Gunners, but a deal is not on the cards right now and talks are expected to progress in the coming weeks between both parties.
The post Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal now want to sign 19y/o defender after missing out on Huijsen, making calls first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.