Liverpool hold an interest in Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato, but the 19-year-old now looks set to secure a move elsewhere – with talks underway with Chelsea.Hato is one of a number of young centre-backs considered by Liverpool as they look to future-proof Arne Slot‘s defence this summer.Toulouse’s Charlie Cresswell, 22, has also joined those linked along with Parma’s Giovanni Leoni, 18, and Wolfsburg’s Konstantinos Koulierakis, 21.But it appears as though Ajax defender Hato is set for a move elsewhere in the Premier League, with transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano among those to report ongoing talks with Chelsea.Writing on X, Romano revealed “official club-to-club contact,” with the 19-year-old seen as the London side’s “next top priority.”This was later confirmed by Hato’s agent, who told Dutch publication De Telegraaf: “Yes, the club has contacted Ajax.“The only thing I can say is that Jorrel is now in talks with Chelsea.”With Hato and Chelsea already in negotiations over personal terms, there is reason to believe that a deal with Ajax shouldn’t be fairly straightforward, with football.london‘s Bobby Vincent reporting further.“There is hope they can be agreed with relative ease,” Vincent wrote on Wednesday, with it clear the teenager would be willing to make the move to Stamford Bridge.Speaking on YouTube last month, the Mail‘s Merseyside reporter Lewis Steele noted how Virgil van Dijk “absolutely adores” Hato and that he would be “one to keep an eye on” either this summer or next.“Liverpool want a young defender who can be at the club for 10-plus years and be the heir to Van Dijk’s throne,” Steele explained.However, while Hato fits the mould as a young but already experienced left-sided centre-back, there is one clear reason why Liverpool may not have pushed ahead with a move.That is with the majority of his senior career so far having been spent operating as a left-back: in 69 of his 111 appearances so far for Ajax and five of his six outings for the Netherlands national team. Following the signing of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, Liverpool already have three established senior options at left-back.While it had been expected that one of Andy Robertson or Kostas Tsimikas would move on this summer, as it stands there have been no concrete developments since Atletico Madrid’s aborted interest in Robertson.In the two pre-season friendlies before the tour of Hong Kong and Japan, Slot used both Robertson and Tsimikas at centre-back, suggesting that if either were to stay he could look to employ that versatility.That may have at least temporarily closed the door on Hato, with priorities elsewhere – and seemingly opened it for Chelsea.