Arsenal have enjoyed quite the summer so far, welcoming Chelsea’s Kai Havertz, with a deal for Declan Rice also pending. And, now, it seems as though Jurrien Timber is closing in on a move from Ajax, bolstering Mikel Arteta’s defensive options.
After finishing second last season, suffering the heartbreak of missing out on the Premier League title to a treble-winning Manchester City side, Arsenal have picked up where they left off, and then some.
Refusing to stagnate after just one attempt at the league title, the Gunners have headed straight to the transfer window. Their first arrival was a slightly surprising one, given Havertz’s poor form for Chelsea last season – scoring seven times in the league – but such is Arsenal’s attacking style of play (scoring a total of 88 league goals), the German could thrive.
As for Rice, the England international signals an incredible coup for Arteta, after reportedly beating Manchester City to his signature. The midfielder is arguably one of the best in the world in his position, and could help turn Arsenal into winners of major silverware again.
Capping off a superb couple of months off the pitch looks increasingly likely to be Timber, with the defender’s brother dropping the most obvious clue yet.
What’s the latest on Jurrien Timber and Arsenal?
Timber has completed his medical at Arsenal, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the defender set to be announced by the club in the coming days. The deal is reportedly worth £40m, in what could be seen as a bargain in today’s market.
Timber can play both centre-back and right-back, providing cover for both Ben White and William Saliba. When the Frenchman’s season ended early last time out, it derailed Arsenal’s season entirely, knocking them off course in the Premier League title race.
With a player like Timber, however, injuries such as Saliba’s may not have such an impact. Or, at least, that’s what Arteta will be hoping.
What did Timber’s brother post?
Following the reports that the Ajax man has completed his medical ahead of a move to the North London club, Timber’s brother took to social media to celebrate the move, posting a picture of his sibling’s goodbye party, showing him in an Arsenal shirt with a poster saying: “Jurrien’s goodbye party. See you in the streets on London.”
Making 32 appearances for Ajax last season, Timber didn’t end on the high that he had been hoping for after the Eredivisie side struggled for the first time in a number of years, finishing third, and 13 points adrift of eventual champions Feyenoord.
He’ll be hoping to bounce back for the Gunners next season, where he becomes part of Arteta’s ever-improving project.
The Dutchman may be forced to fight for his place, however. The defensive partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba has proved to be quite the duo at The Emirates, and will be a difficult one to break up. With former player Martin Keown telling BT Sport (via football.london): “He [Saliba] and Gabriel make for a really good partnership.”
Meanwhile, White unexpectedly slotted in at right-back last season, before going on to do an exceptional job, cementing his place in the side with an average SofaScore rating of 6.91 in the league – so Timber won’t necessarily be able to immediately slot in there either.
Competition for places is only a good thing, however, especially given Arsenal’s place in the Champions League next season, where they’ll look to go deep into the competition.
