Arsenal remain keen on signing Ajax left-back Jorrel Hato and will keep monitoring his situation, according to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Gunners were linked with the Netherlands international late in December, but a short-term loan signing was mooted as their most likely chance of landing him as a permanent deal was not going

Arsenal remain keen on signing Ajax left-back Jorrel Hato and will keep monitoring his situation, according to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Gunners were linked with the Netherlands international late in December, but a short-term loan signing was mooted as their most likely chance of landing him as a permanent deal was not going to come cheap.

However, Arsenal ended up signing nobody during the January transfer window and will now start identifying transfer targets for the summer.

Romano claims Hato is still very much a player the North Londoners have on their radar, suggesting they could move for the 17-year-old when the transfer window reopens.

“It was impossible to sign him in January because of the rules,” the journalist said on the latest edition of The Here We Go Podcast.

“He is 17 years old, and is Jorrel Hato from Ajax. So, it was not a deal for January, but Ajax want to extend his contract as soon as possible, and Arsenal try to understand how is the situation around Jorrel Hato.

“It was again impossible to make the deal happen in January, but Arsenal are following this boy closely. They believe he is a special talent. We saw Arsenal signing players in the recent years from Ajax.

“They wanted Lisandro Martinez, they signed Jurrien Timber, they have a good connection, and they believe that Hato is a player who could be of interest in the future.

“So, Arsenal wanted to move for steps for this deal for Hato. At the moment, again, Ajax want to extend his contract, but I think this guy is going to be one to watch very soon.”

The teenage sensation is also capable of playing as a centre-back and has captained Ajax at times this season, so it is clear to see why Arsenal have been attracted to him.

He dreams of moving to a big club and following in the footsteps of former teammate Timber, which could give the Gunners an advantage in their pursuit, and it will be interesting to see how things go during the summer transfer window.