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Reported Arsenal target Jorrel Hato has revealed that he looked up to Gunners defender Jurrien Timber in the early days of his first-team career at Ajax. The Dutch youngster is one of the most highly-rated players in the Ajax squad and is part of the senior Dutch set-up.
Hato made history in the 2023-24 season as he became the youngest player to captain Dutch giants Ajax aged 17 in November 2023. A week later, he made his senior Netherlands debut when he came on as a half-time substitute for captain Virgil van Dijk.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of Jorrel Hato, as per The Athletic. This is evidenced by the amount of interest shown in signing the 17-year-old defender by the Gunners.
Hato has spoken about his admiration for former teammate and current Arsenal star Jurrien Timber in an interview with The Athletic. He revealed that while his youth coaches often advised him to try to emulate Van Dijk, it was Timber that he looked up to.
He said:
“Coaches told me that I always needed to look up to Virgil van Dijk, but when I played in the under-18s, I always looked up to Jurrien Timber.
“When I came into the first team, he was my mentor. I love his playing style, his calmness on the ball. And he is just a great defender in defending terms.”
Arsenal sought to sign Hato but the youngster has opted to remain at Ajax, where he has continued his impressive development. A journalist, Suleyman Ozturk, once said that Hato would cost up to £84 million if he were to leave Ajax, a testament to the level of the youngster.
The Gunners signed Riccardo Calafiori this summer, temporarily putting an end to their pursuit of Hato, who plays in the same position. With the trio of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney, and Jakub Kiwior facing uncertain futures at the club, a move for Hato may be revisited in the future.
Arsenal captain spotted in crutches following worrying injury
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was spotted in crutches as the first pictures of him emerged following his injury while on international duty. The 25-year-old has returned to London to undergo an assessment after injuring his ankle playing for Norway.
Odegaard had to come off midway through the second half of Norway's 2-1 win over Austria following a collision with an Austrian player on September 9. The former Real Madrid prodigy was spotted in crutches as he boarded a plane back to London following the incident.
Odegaard's injury comes at a crucial time for Arsenal, who are set to face arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, September 15. The Gunners will then face Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League on September 19 before facing Manchester City three days later.
