About Jorrel Hato

"JORREL HATO: ENHANCEMENT FOR TIMBER-ZINCHENKO – UPGRADE OPTION FOR KIWIOR – AND ADDING A YOUNG LEADER

★ From January until now, Hato remains the most watched name by Arsenal for quality additions to their defensive line.

Born in 2006, the rising star has only completed his first professional season but has admirably filled the void left by his senior Jurrien Timber, who moved to Arsenal, in Ajax's defense.

Despite recently renewing his contract with Johan Cruyff Arena, Arsenal still sees him as their target in this summer transfer window.

★ Physically, at just 18 years old, Hato stands at 182cm tall, slightly shorter than Kiwior who is 189cm tall, but with muscular strength in his lower body, enabling him to leap aerially as well as his Polish counterpart. Additionally, he still has room to grow in the next 1-2 years.

The Dutch defender has a sturdier build compared to Kiwior, with smoother body movements, more fluid transitions from defensive to offensive play, and notably explosive strength, an advantage when racing against skilled wingers.

These are qualities Kiwior lacks, hindering his development as a full-back both defensively and offensively, unlike Hato.

★ Defensively, in the center-back pairing, Hato leans towards a more aggressive and expansive style like Magalhaes or Konate, so when pushed to play as a full-back, Hato shows much more agility and aggression than Kiwior, whose defensive style is closer to Saliba.

Hato always utilizes his physical advantages and explosive speed to challenge wingers. According to FBref statistics, when playing as a full-back, Hato wins an average of 2.17 duals per match, with a success rate of up to 96%.

If he joins Arsenal, they could become experts in 1v1 situations on the wings against top wingers like Ake or Gvardiol of Man City.

★ In terms of control and attack, as mentioned in the transfer analysis article based on the concept of Rice – Havertz – Timber – Raya, in the defense line, whether LB – CB – RB, Arsenal needs someone with qualities similar to Timber and Zinchenko because Zinny could leave, and Timber could suffer from ACL injuries anytime.

Moreover, Arsenal also needs a natural left-back who can overlap and support Martinelli and Trossard.

★ Hato fits both criteria.

Remember, Hato is the successor to Jurrien Timber at Ajax. Like his predecessor, Hato can deliver excellent direct passes from the defensive third. He's also extremely bold in carrying the ball forward confidently, bypassing opponents' defensive structures. Additionally, he possesses excellent ball control and distribution skills to support midfielders.

-> Thus, Hato can transform into a versatile full-back like Timber or even become a libero like Man City's John Stones or Bologna's Calafiori to support the number 6.

Unlike Timber, who relies heavily on low center of gravity and excellent ball retention, more suited to a possession-based style in midfield, Hato excels in explosive bursts and higher mobility, which is why he's often used as a traditional full-back with the ability to overlap and support.

-> Hato could indeed be an upgrade option for Kiwior in the role of a full-back supporting Martinelli and Trossard.

★ Compared to Miguel Gutierrez, who may possess similar attacking and control qualities as a full-back, Hato is more suitable for Arteta's intentions of using center-backs on the flanks. He could provide better depth not only as an addition to Timber – Zinchenko or an upgrade for Kiwior but also as a perfect rotation option for Magalhaes.

★ Additionally, in terms of mentality, Hato, despite being only 18 years old and having just one debut season, immediately made an impact on the entire Ajax team and gained the trust of the coach and senior players.

Becoming part of Ajax's leadership group alongside captain Bergwijn or vice-captains like Berghuis – Henderson, Hato has even worn the captain's armband for Ajax in his debut professional season, showing he's a natural leader with a strong personality and immense determination.

As you can see in this video, Hato isn't shy about rallying and urging his teammates.

Therefore, I believe it's not just his superior footballing abilities but also Hato's mental strength and maturity at the age of 18 that make Arsenal and other big clubs want to recruit the young Dutch star.

Video by Elijah Michaels
https://vxtwitter.com/ElijahKaneki/status/1723340782159933621