Ajax have been boosted by the news that 17-year-old defender Jorrel Hato is ready to shun rumoured interest from Liverpool and sign a new deal with the club.
Although the 17-year-old’s contract with the Amsterdam club only lasts until June 2025 and the club’s circumstances are not ideal, he sees no reason to leave at this stage of his career.
Sven Mislintat, director of football affairs, is hopeful that Hato will receive a full professional contract as a result of the young player’s response.
I’m not worried about it. It will nonetheless take place. I don’t care when; I can already see my future here. In an interview with Algemeen Dagblad, Hato said of Ajax’s sporting slump, “The club’s current condition does not change that.
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Hato’s incredible Ajax rise
Since the summer of 2018, Hato has participated in the youth academy of Ajax. He had just joined from Sparta Rotterdam at the time. Hato committed to a three-year deal with Ajax in March 2022 that will keep him under contract there through June 30 of 2025.
Only Ryan Gravenberch and Clarence Seedorf, two Ajax players, were younger than Hato when they made their teams’ competitive debuts. On February 5 against SC Cambuur, Hato took the field in place of Owen Wijndal. He was 16 years, 10 months, and 29 days old at the time.
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Hato, who won’t be 18 until March of the following year, made 15 appearances for Ajax’s first team last season and played an average of 51 minutes per game.
The six official games of Maurice Steijn’s team this football season have been attended by the youth international without a single missed minute.
The teenager’s Expected Transfer Value (xTV), calculated using the FootballTransfers methodology, is presently €5.7 million.
