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Jordan Henderson and Jorrel Hato celebrate during Ajax's home win over Utrecht in December (Image: ANP via Getty Images)

It's the debate that continues to rage online: should Liverpool buy in the January transfer window?

On one hand, why should they when they sit pretty at the top of the Premier League and the Champions League tables and are within touching distance of the Carabao Cup final.

But the counter argument to that is there is no better time to bolster the squad than from a position of strength and, given the Reds remain in all four competitions open to them this season, their ranks are going to be stretched to the limit over the coming months.

And one player who is being linked to Liverpool is teenage Ajax and Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato.

Rated as one of the best prospects in the world, the 18-year-old is adept at playing both centre-back and left-back.

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Given they are positions the Reds need covering, if not immediately then certainly in the near future, and the speculation begins to make sense.

And that speculation went into overdrive at the weekend after Hato was spotted at Anfield for the 4-1 win over Ipswich Town that ensured Liverpool maintained their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

But before everyone gets too excited, there was a simple explanation, with De Telegraaf reporting that the youngster was merely visiting his friend and national team-mate Ryan Gravenberch given his club side Ajax were not in action.

The report from the Netherlands also claims that Hato has ruled out leaving the Amsterdam giants this month despite the reported interest from the Reds and Real Madrid.

Now if that interest is real, Arne Slot would have a number of immediate character references to call on given Hato plays for the Netherlands alongside Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo as well as Gravenberch.

You'd expect the Liverpool head coach to know all about his compatriot, too, given he was in charge of Ajax's rivals Feyenoord before moving to Merseyside in the summer.

But if Slot eventually does want another seal of approval, he could always turn to the Reds' former captain Jordan Henderson, who is now Hato's skipper at Ajax after he joined the Eredivisie title challengers after a short stay in Saudi Arabia at Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq following his departure from Anfield.

And Henderson has previously spoke of how highly he rates Hato: "It's crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he's on the pitch and also off the pitch.

"He's a very mature person.

If I can help them I'm sure I'll try and do that, of course."

Hato made his Netherlands debut at the age of 17 when he replaced Van Dijk in a European Championship qualifier against Gibraltar.

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The Liverpool captain is someone the starlet has been asked to model his game on but he has also namechecked another Premier League defender as an inspiration.

"Coaches told me that I always needed to look up to Virgil van Dijk, but when I played in the under-18s, I always looked up to Jurrien Timber,” Hato said.

"I played with him for six months before he left (for Arsenal), and I learned so much from him.

And he is just a great defender in defending terms."


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