Sources: Liverpool line up £40m Van Dijk replacement who was spotted at Anfield
03/31/2025 03:50 AM
Jorrel Hato has been identified by Liverpool as the long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk ahead of the summer transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
Van Dijk’s future at Anfield is under the microscope as his current Liverpool contract heads towards expiry, but even if the Dutchman does stay put this summer, his compatriot Hato is on the Reds’ radar.
Hato is considered one of the best young defenders in Europe and has excelled at both centre-back and left-back for Ajax this season, with that versatility appealing massively to Liverpool’s recruitment team.
Football Insider revealed in March 2024 that Liverpool were closely monitoring a then 18-year-old Hato’s progress, with scouts sent to watch him alongside staff from Manchester United and Arsenal.
Now 19, Hato already has six caps for the Dutch national team, and having been spotted watching a Reds match at Anfield and meeting up with skipper Van Dijk afterwards, speculation over a move has been rife.
Sources have told Football Insider that Liverpool will face competition from Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal for Hato’s signature, particularly after he messaged the latter’s Jurrien Timber on social media.
Jorrel Hato price tag to go beyond £40m for Liverpool
Ajax hold all of the cards ahead of the summer window, with Hato under contract in Amsterdam until 2028, and the Dutch giants are set to demand a minimum of £40million from any club keen to sign him.
Though Liverpool are the club heaviest-linked with a move for the versatile 19-year-old, Slot doesn’t see Hato as Van Dijk’s successor just yet, with the ideal scenario being that Van Dijk signs a new contract.
Hato would more likely be brought in to play alongside Van Dijk, either in central defence or at left-back, to get up to speed with the Premier League, with a view towards succeeding the 33-year-old long-term.
Liverpool prepare for worst-case Van Dijk scenario
Hato being on Liverpool’s radar is no surprise given their success rate in signing Dutch players of late, with Van Dijk still the gold standard for defenders in world football and joined by several other successes.
Georginio Wijnaldum and current frontman Cody Gakpo both excelled during their spells at Anfield, and adding a defender of Hato’s quality – and versatility – would help soften the blow if Van Dijk does leave.
Former Manchester United and Blackburn scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that amid the Reds’ interest in Dean Huijsen, Van Dijk could yet leave and join Trent Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid.
Football Insider reported on 28 March that Liverpool are also ready to act on a replacement for their long-term right-back in the form of Jeremie Frimpong, and if Van Dijk does head the same way as Alexander-Arnold, Hato could be given a real baptism of fire at Anfield.
The post Sources: Liverpool line up £40m Van Dijk replacement who was spotted at Anfield appeared first on Football Insider.
