Ajax Amsterdam defender Jurrien Timber close to completing a summer move to Manchester United to reunite with manager Erik ten Hag
According to transfer insider Pedro Almeida on Twitter (h/t The Sun), Ajax Amsterdam defender Jurrien Timber is now one step away from completing a transfer move to Manchester United ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, where he will reunite with manager Erik ten Hag.
ten Hag was announced as United’s new permanent boss just a few weeks earlier, joining from Ajax. The Dutchman finished the 2021/22 season by leading the Amsterdam side to their third consecutive Eredivisie title, which was also the 52-year-old’s third league title in five years.
After luring him to Manchester, it now seems that the Red Devils are close to roping in Timber from the Dutch giants as well. Almeida has claimed that the player’s move to the Theatre of Dreams is very close, with the English side paying around €35m to secure his services.
The defensive line at United has seen some underwhelming performances on the pitch, with central defenders Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof not doing much to cover themselves in glory. Club captain Maguire has been the poorest of the lot, barely showing any consistency in his displays.
“Deal closing time”
The addition of a rising star like Timber is sure to get United fans excited. News about his supposed move to the Theatre of Dreams has been fueled after the player’s representatives posted a clip of him at an airport with the caption “deal closing time….”.
In addition, football journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Ajax starlet’s name was mentioned internally in the last 48 hours. His name has popped up again after ten Hag and his new club had their first meeting just a few days ago, which perhaps shows that the player is being considered seriously.
It can come as no surprise, given how instrumental Timber has been to Ajax’s recent league success. The 20-year-old was a key part of ten Hag’s defensive setup, and the manager seems to have been hugely impressed with the Dutch star’s displays at the back.
The centre-back options at his new club have barely hit their stride, and so adding someone like Timber to the lineup at Old Trafford could provide some fresh options as well as some competition to the current crop of options. It remains to be seen what ten Hag does of Maguire, Varane, and Lindelof beyond the summer.
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Other stars like Phil Jones and Eric Bailly have barely got an opportunity to impress, and this could perhaps see them seek opportunities elsewhere. If they do indeed leave, then new defenders are needed at United, and Timber would make for a necessary signing.
Romano had also mentioned Pau Torres’ name in his tweet, with the Villarreal defender having an excellent campaign this time around. Only time will tell if Torres is also someone that the Red Devils pursue, after completing Timber’s supposed imminent signing.
