With the North Londoners continuing to overhaul their roster as Thomas Frank takes charge of the proceedings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one of the most exciting names that the Lilywhites have even linked with since the arrival of Dane head coach is highly rated Ajax defender Jorrel Hato. A modern, left-footed centre-back who has already captained the Dutch giants and already embodies many of the principles that Thomas Frank looks for in his players. The teenager is flexible when it comes to his positional understanding while also having that technical comfort, especially when he is facing press, and then he has that system intelligence which makes him an ideal fit for Spurs under the former Brentford manager.
There is a need for defensive reinforcement at Tottenham, and while many players have been linked with a move to Hotspur Way, recently Ben Jacobs name-dropped Hato as a probable player that the North Londoners are looking to sign in the ongoing summer transfer window. That being said, it would not be easy for Daniel Levy to pursue his signatures given how Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have already been putting in efforts to land his signatures for some time now.
And while we will leave the persuasion part of things to Daniel Levy and his team, let’s get into the attributes of Hato and how he will fit into the system that Thomas Frank is expected to implement at Tottenham.
How can Hato fit in tactically under Frank?
Hato can play as the left-sided centre-back in a 4-3-3 or 3-5-2, which makes him positionally perfect to deputise for Micky van de Ven if and when needed, particularly with how the former Wolfsburg centre back has suffered with injury problems in the past couple of seasons. Andy, given that Hato is someone who is highly press resistant and is someone who is cool when facing the press, makes him ideal to play when the North Londoners are building in the first phase. Moreover, given that he is quite composed and is smart with how he angles his body shape when receiving the ball, which could be key in trying to facilitate clean transitional situations straight with passes out of defence.
You can also play him as a wide centre-back in a back three where he plays in a 3-5-2 (a system that Frank had been using at Brentford) where the teenager can play in the left centre-back slot, tucking in during defensive transitions and pushing wide during buildup phases. And given that he is quick when it comes to his lateral movements, it would allow him to make sure that he can cover when the left-sided fullback steps up (Destiny Udogie) while still bringing a passing option in the buildup phases.
Moreover, given his technical elegance, you can play him in that left-back role every time Frank lines up in a back four, where the Dutchman will be playing in a more Zinchenko-esque manner as he tucks into the midfield in possession.
The thing is, Hato is one of the best progressive passers when it comes to defenders on the continent, given that he has that capacity to break pressing traps and unlock space with his diagonal switches. And we know that Frank likes to play with players who can control rhythm, and the fact that Hato has that ability to control the tempo is something that the Dane head coach would love to have in his roster.
Strengths
He is quite elite, especially with his composure when you compare it directly with his age, especially given that he rarely rushes passes when facing a press. Then Hato is also quite versatile, given how he can play as an LB, LCB in a four, or wide CB in a three.
Then his press resistance will help Tottenham to smoother passes out of first phases, especially when the opponents use high blocks. And then there is his high defensive IQ and positional discipline, which should come in handy in big games.
Weaknesses
I still think that he can be outmuscled by physical forwards, and he needs to learn a bit of duel dominance. He may take some time to adapt to the pace and power of the English top tier.
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Author Opinion
Jorrel Hato is precisely the type of player that the current project at N17 demands, given that he is young but intelligent and has that multi-position capacity about him. I do think that he has that ability to go on and be a really useful piece of the new defensive identity that Thomas Frank is trying to build at Hotspur Way. And while Hato will undoubtedly be a long-term prospect, but there’s no reason he can’t be someone who brings immediate impact as well.