Arsenal are interested in signing Ajax defender Jorrel Hato to provide additional depth to Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer.
The Gunners are in the market for another versatile defender, with Takehiro Tomiyasu continuing to suffer from injury issues and Kieran Tierney departing the club.
Jakub Kiwior could now stay at Arsenal, after it had been assumed that he may leave the North London club as interest from Italy surfaced.
Despite the Pole’s reported U-turn, Arsenal have called to express interest in Hato, who they view as a potentially excellent addition to Arteta’s ensemble.
With that said, here are four players who may be impacted by the potential signing.
Winners from Arsenal signing Jorrel Hato
Gabriel Magalhaes
Arteta was reluctant to trust Kiwior at times last season, until he was forced to when Gabriel sustained a hamstring injury that kept him out for the final two months of the campaign.
If Arsenal spend a significant fee on acquiring Hato, then the Spanish manager is more likely to be willing to rest Gabriel on the odd occasion, to give the Dutchman minutes at centre-back.
The Brazilian arguably needs to be sat down from time to time, with the overburdening of minutes on him in the last few seasons potentially leading to his injury in April.
Hato will provide him with some respite.
Jurrien Timber
Jurrien Timber was excellent for Arsenal last season at right-back, but looked significantly more uncomfortable in possession when asked to play as an inverted left-back.
Early in the campaign, before Ben White’s injury issues, Timber was deployed on the left-hand side and this certainly didn’t get the best out of him.
The signing of Hato would provide Arsenal with another left-back option, decreasing the likelihood of Timber ever having to play off this side again.
It’ll also provide the 23-year-old with a fellow Dutchman in the squad.
Losers from Arsenal signing Jorrel Hato
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed his breakthrough season for Arsenal in the 2024/25 campaign.
Brought up as a midfielder, the Hale End graduate found his way into the senior side as a left-back, inverting into central areas.
While capable at centre-back, Hato has predominantly played as a left-back for Ajax, meaning his arrival could stunt Lewis-Skelly’s development.
With both players still teenagers, it’s hard to see them co-existing in the same squad in the long term, unless there is a plan to move Lewis-Skelly into midfield.
Riccardo Calafiori
Perhaps the player most damaged by Hato’s potential arrival would be Riccardo Calafiori.
Like Hato, the Italian can play at left-centre-back or left-back, and he shares similar physical attributes to the Netherlands international.
Signing the Ajax starlet could potentially be seen as a vote of no confidence from the Arsenal hierarchy in Calafiori’s ability to remain fit.
With Lewis-Skelly and Hato both in Arsenal’s squad and looking to develop, it’s difficult to see where the minutes would come from for the former Bologna man.
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