Dutch defender Jurrien Timber has already returned to Ajax to work on his fitness ahead of his summer move to Arsenal, De Telegraaf’s Mike Verweij claims.
The Gunners reached a verbal agreement with Ajax to sign the Netherlands international this week. They will pay an initial €42 million for the versatile defender. The deal could rise to €48m with add-ons.
The final formalities are currently being sorted for his transfer, but it appears Timber has already returned to Amsterdam. He is spending his time in the Ajax gym until his Arsenal move is made official.
The Netherlands international wants to appear ‘super fit’ by the time he joins the Gunners for pre-season training.
Verweij has revealed that a deal could be announced anytime soon. Ajax wanted to wait until July 1 such that the sale counts for the new accounting year. This would enable them to spend the money on new purchases.
TIMBER SHOULD BE A FANTASTIC SIGNING FOR ARSENAL
The 22-year-old is one of the best-performing defenders in European football. Last season, he completed 92 per cent of his passes in Eredivisie with an average of 74 passes per appearance.
The Dutchman made 1.2 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.9 clearances on average while winning nearly four duels. His superb ball-playing ability should improve the Gunners next season.
In our view, it is highly unlikely that Timber will start in central defence ahead of the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. He could be considered as direct competition for Ben White at right-back.
Oleksandr Zinchenko excelled in his role as an inverted left-back during his debut season at Arsenal, and manager Mikel Arteta may have plans of doing something similar with Timber on the opposite end.
Timber has all the traits to become a regular starter ahead of White. He averaged an impressive 92 touches last season, and should offer better control for the Gunners with his clever and precise distribution.
About The Author
