Transfer news: Liverpool 'want' 18-year-old wonderkid who Jordan Henderson called 'fantastic'
Liverpool transfer rumours: Liverpool are being linked with a move.
Liverpool are being linked with a move for Ajax wonderkid Jorrel Hato who has been hailed as a future star.
The 18-year-old made his senior debut for Ajax in January 2023 when he was just 16 and he has just gone on to make 81 appearances. He has become a key player and has already featured 20 times, scoring three times and assisting on four occasions and he is certainly catching the eye.
Who is Jorrel Hato?
A wonderkid who came through at Sparta Rotterdam before joining the Ajax academy, he became the third youngest player to debut for Ajax in the Eredivisie at the age of 16 years and 335 days, behind Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch and Clarence Seedorf.
Current Ajax player Jordan Henderson hailed him for his overall quality having played with him across the past 11 months. "It's crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he's on the pitch and also off the pitch," he told the Ajax website. "He's a very mature person. Works hard. Fantastic player. And yeah, he has a bright future ahead of him, I'm sure."
While he does feature predominately at left-back, he played all of last season at centre-back, showcasing his ability and versatility. Two positions in which Liverpool could potentially want to strengthen in the years to come. According to Rousing the Kop, the youngster is ‘very high’ on the Reds’ list of potential defensive additions. Valued at £26m by Transfermarkt, he could well cost more given his deal expires in 2028.
A cheaper version of Goncalo Inacio?
One player who has been linked with Liverpool is Goncalo Inacio, a left-sided defender who thrived in Portugal under Ruben Amorim. He has been linked with a move across the past few windows and it is likely he will make a big move at some point in the near future.
When comparing the two defenders on FBref, Inacio and Heto were statistically the most similar to each other, meaning that it is likely that Liverpool will have both of them on their target list. Inacio, however, would need a £52m payment to trigger his release clause.
Rational thinking would believe that the youngster is cheaper but Ajax could hold out for a higher fee given his age and contract situation. Looking at Hato’s performances at centre-back last season compared to Inacio this season is very interesting - there isn’t a lot between them on Data MB.
Although, Hato had more defensive actions, a higher duel win percentage and a higher forward pass success rate. While it was very close on aerial duels and passes. It would seem Hato is the more well-rounded option given he can play both roles and considering how he is performing already at 18, he looks a real star in the making.