Why Arsenal need to signal Jurrien Timber
All of Europe’s greatest golf equipment, together with Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid, have courted the Ajax defender over the previous two years.
Last summer time, it was Manchester United who fought hardest to signal Timber when Erik ten Haag was eager to be reunited with a participant he labored with at Ajax.
Timber was reluctant to make a transfer so quickly earlier than the World Cup and ending up staying at Ajax and signing a brand new contract.
But the 22-year-old Dutchman could possibly be on the transfer this summer time and Arsenal have kickstarted the bidding by having a £30million provide rejected. Ajax need nearer to £50m.
It can be some huge cash, however in Timber they might be including a major weapon to their squad.
He can play at centre-back or right-back, whereas on the World Cup in Qatar he operated in a back-three for the Netherlands as they reached the quarter-finals.
Timber matches the profile of a participant Edu and Mikel Arteta have focused in latest seasons. He is younger, fast, robust and good in possession, whereas he was tipped as a future Ajax captain by Ten Hag.
His versatility can also be an enormous asset. Arsenal stumbled within the title race within the closing weeks of final season and one purpose for his or her struggles was the shortage of depth.
Another was as a consequence of a scarcity of versatile choices within the squad and their potential signings this summer time level to a push to handle that challenge.
Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Timber are all gamers who can play a number of roles, offering Arteta with larger tactical flexibility.
Timber would permit Arsenal to play with an inverted right-back, one thing they tried towards the again finish of final season.
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Oleksandr Zinchenko often fulfills such a job from the other flank however, in his absence, Kieran Tierney struggled to copy what he gives.
That prompted Arteta to basically flip the system for the ultimate three video games of the season when Zinchenko was out injured with a calf damage, with Thomas Partey enjoying as an inverted right-back.
It is a job that Timber may step into, and the actual fact he can even play as a centre-back solely underlines why he’s such a beautiful signing for Arsenal.