Scouting Report: Jorrel Hato - “World Class” Young Defender on Reds’ Radar

Written on 06/02/2025

While he came to Anfield only to watch Liverpool play Ipswich Town a few days ago to support Ryan Gravenberch after the latter invited him, Jorrel Hato has been strongly linked with a move to the Reds in the summer transfer window.

The 18-year-old (who will turn 19 in March) is a left-sided defender who can play as a left-sided centre-back or a left-back. It is unsurprising to hear that Liverpool will be in the market for a left-footed defender/left-back in the summer. Andrew Robertson is approaching 31 and entering the later stages of his career. Fullbacks like him, who rely on relentless energy and up-and-down movement every game, often see a decline in their performance levels once they enter the other side of 30. It is natural and happens to everyone.

To be fair to him, the Scotland captain has played well in the last few weeks after an expectedly slow start to the season. Despite that, expecting him to continue doing that for the coming years would be almost unfair to him and his legendary legacy at the club.

Moreover, in Arne Slot’s system, there isn’t a need for a fullback to bomb up and down the field and be as intense as a Jurgen Klopp fullback would be. Slot likes one of his fullbacks to stay behind with the centre-backs to recycle possession or move into midfield to increase the presence there.

Keeping that in mind, let’s take a closer look at Hato and deduce why he could be a good addition to the Liverpool squad at left-back.

Hato was an early youth product at Sparta Rotterdam before moving to the Ajax Academy in the summer of 2018. After five years of learning the game there, he made his Ajax senior debut in the latter stages of the 2022/23 season. The 18-year-old has been their regular starter since the beginning of last season.

Of the 94 appearances in all competitions for the Dutch giants, Hato has played 54 of them as a left-back and 39 as a centre-back (one as a left wing-back). Although the 18-year-old has played predominantly as a left-back this season, he occupies the central midfield zones when the team is in possession (to provide cover in transition and pick out passes by being a spare man in midfield) and reverts to type when the team is defending.

With regard to attributes, the 18-year-old is an excellent passer of the ball, is decent in aerial duels (although will improve on that as he gains more experience), reads the game well defensively and is a solid one-v-one defender in wide areas when playing as a left-back for Ajax.

Be it overall passing, spraying long balls along the channel or completing long diagonal passes, Hato is the best among Eredivisie defenders this season. 90%+ overall pass accuracy and 70%+ long ball accuracy is an excellent combination to have if you are scouting a ball-playing defender.