Arsenal are looking at stepping up their efforts to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber after having a bid of £30m rejected recently.
What’s the latest on Jurrien Timber to Arsenal?
The Eredivisie side rejected Arsenal’s £30m bid for Timber, but according to The Daily Mail, the Gunners are showing no signs of backing down and are set to go back in with an improved offer.
The Dutch side, however, are demanding a fee of £50m in order to part with their defender, and it remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta will make another bid in this region to sign Timber, or if he will move on to other targets instead.
Will Jurrien Timber sign for Arsenal?
The recent update suggests Arteta is keen on luring the Dutchman to the Premier League, and although the Gunners conceded just 43 times in the league last term – the joint-second lowest total in the top flight – the added rigours of Champions League football next season will ensure the Spaniard must strengthen his team.
William Saliba was one of their finest performers, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.96/10, ranking him as their second-best defender, yet he missed the title run-in due to suffering from a back problem. Arsenal subsequently failed to win six of their 12 games without the Frenchman and perhaps the Premier League crown may have ended up in their hands had he remained fit.
The centre-back is wonderful on the ball, ranking in the top 12% across Europe’s top five leagues for touches per 90 (78.62) while his passing ability is also among the best on the continent, making 65.35 passes per 90, ranking him in the top 8% for this metric, and it’s evident that he is comfortable at playing out from the back.
Timber could form a solid defensive duo alongside the 22-year-old as he also excels on the ball. Across competitions at a similar level to the Eredivisie (as per FBref), Timber ranks in the top 1% for passes completed (74.79) and touches per 90 (90.62) while even being among the best for progressing the ball up the pitch.
Indeed, he ranks in the top 1% for progressive carries (2.38) and progressive passes per 90 (8.62), demonstrating his extreme confidence – and next to Saliba, the pair could take Arsenal to new heights.
Following a display against BSC Young Boys two years ago, talent scout Jacek Kulig lavished praise on the player, saying: “Not the tallest defender but his understanding of the game, anticipation, pace and ball skills are exceptional.”
And judging by his more recent statistics, £50m could turn into a shrewd piece of business by Arteta should he manage to sign the player this summer.
