For the most part this season, Arsenal fans have been able to enjoy watching their side.
They cruised through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League, they were top of the Premier League at Christmas, and while they have yet to be quite as lethal going forward, their defence has looked a lot sterner this year.
While back-to-back league defeats since Christmas day have soured the mood somewhat in N5, the side's new-found defensive solidity is still a real strength, a strength Mikel Arteta and co could be about to further improve with the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates, a player that could be the next Jurrien Timber – Jorrel Hato.
Arsenal can sign the perfect Jesus replacement in £50m "goal machine"
The 23-year-old could fire the Gunners to Premier League glory.
ByJack Salveson HolmesJan 4, 2024 Arsenal transfer news – Jorrel Hato
According to Sam Dean of the Telegraph, Arsenal are currently "plotting a move" for Ajax's young star, in a transfer that would parallel the signing of Timber last summer.
The 17-year-old only made his debut for the Dutch giants in January last year, but has truly established himself as an essential first-teamer this season, starting 100% of the side's Eredivisie games.
As if his rise wasn't already impressive enough, he was also given the captain's armband against AEK Athens last month, making him the youngest starting captain in Ajax's history.
With such an impressive reputation at such a young age, it is unlikely that a transfer would come cheap, with journalist Suleyman Öztürk telling Dutch website SoccerNews that he expects the youngster to be sold for around €100m, which is about £86m.
While paying that much for a 17-year-old is unprecedented, it might just be worth it to sign a player talent scout Jacek Kulig described as "one of the most talented CBs of his generation in Europe."
Jorrel Hato could be the next Jurrien Timber
It might seem premature to compare a teenager just making his way in the game to a 22-year-old who has just moved to the Premier League before suffering a severe injury, but the similarities are certainly there.
The first two are undeniably surface-level but hard to ignore; they are both Dutch defenders who would be leaving the biggest club in the Netherlands to join an Arsenal side on the hunt for domestic and continental supremacy.
Following that, they both share a trait that Arteta has shown an evident appreciation for during his time in N5: positional versatility.
During his time in the Netherlands, Timber was deployed as both a centre-back and right-back while also playing as a left-back for the Gunners against Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
Similarly, the "insane" Hato, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has been used as both a centre-back and left-back in his short career thus far.
So, how do their underlying numbers compare, then? Is there much overlap between Hato's numbers this year and Timber's last year in the Netherlands?
Well, while there are some slight differences in certain areas of their respective games, there are also plenty of areas in which the pair are incredibly close.
Stats per 90
Hato
Timber
Goals + Assists
0.13
0.12
Shots on Target
0.25
0.27
Passing Accuracy
90.5%
91.6%
Tackles Won
1.31
1.01
Interceptions
1.44
1.25
Ball Recoveries
6.00
5.91
All Stats via FBref for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 Domestic Seasons
For example, their goal and assist output is almost identical, as are their shots on target, ball recovery numbers and passing accuracy. While their tackle and interception numbers aren't exactly the same, they are remarkably close.
Ultimately, Hato looks like he will be a fantastic player in the future, and a team with him and Timber could cause some real problems for opposing forwards and defenders.