May 30, (THEWILL) – Ajax’s Jurrien Timber is being courted by Manchester United, with new manager Erik ten Hag keen to make the defender one of his first acquisitions.
Ten Hag is a big fan of Timber, who made his Eredivisie debut in March 2020 under his tutelage, and the 20-year-old defender was a key member of Ajax’s title-winning teams in the previous two seasons.
Timber is primarily a central defender with the ability to play fullback as well. The inconsistent form of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelöf, the front-line players in the position, is a specific weakness of Ten Hag’s side.
Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, their backups, are prone to injury and could leave this summer as part of a team-wide exodus expected at Old Trafford before the summer transfer season is over.
Timber, who has six caps for the Netherlands, has two years left on his contract, so Ajax may value him at over €50 million (£43 million). United’s talks with the club are still in the early stages, and Ajax is said to have offered Timber a fresh deal.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
