Arsenal have now been told it will take something extraordinary to sign a player considered to be Mikel Arteta’s top target this summer.
Although Arsenal’s league season only ended a few weeks ago, Edu and his team appear to already be working diligently to bring in new signings.
Arteta’s task is to improve on a record-breaking season at Arsenal, which will be no easy task.
And although last summer was all about signing players who could immediately improve the club’s XI: Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya, there could now be a different focus.
Although Arsenal only came up short by the smallest of margins, one potential point of blame was Arteta’s lack of rotation – highlighted by William Saliba playing every single Premier League minute.
Therefore, Arsenal need better squad options, players Arteta can trust to play serious roles, in serious games.
A new back-up striker has perhaps been identified in RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, but Arsenal are then thought to still want a new central midfielder and left-back.
Enter, Ajax’s Jorrel Hato.
Ajax would only sell Jorrel Hato to Arsenal for an ‘enormous’ figure this summer
Although Hato doesn’t solve Arsenal’s need for a midfielder to dovetail with Rice, he could vastly improve Arteta’s options at the back.
The 19-year-old is still relatively inexperienced, but could be trusted to start at left-back or left centre-back, a player with rich potential.
That being said, The Athletic have just shared a report detailing that any deal won’t be easy this summer, and perhaps not viable at all.
Hato was recently earmarked as Arteta’s ‘top target’ at Arsenal this summer, a player who could contribute now and in the future.
But according to the report mentioned, Ajax would be very reluctant to let Hato leave, and their position is strengthened by the new contract he recently signed until 2028.
It’s stated that it would take an ‘enormous offer’ to bring Hato the Emirates this summer, which perhaps means Arsenal will look elsewhere.
And in that case, Edu and his team may then look to a more specialised left-back, perhaps Fenerbahce’s Ferdi Kadioglu.
The 24-year-old is considered one of Turkey’s biggest talents, a defender ready for the next step.
However, newly-appointed Jose Mourinho is determined to stop Arsenal signing the full-back this summer.