Manchester United will reportedly need to shell out a transfer fee of £35 million in order to sign Jurrien Timber from AFC Ajax in the summer.
According to the Mirror, Manchester United new manager Erik ten Hag wants to make six new signings in the summer transfer window, with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber among his priority targets. However, the Dutch champions will demand a sum of £35 million for the 20-year-old centre-half.
Timber joined the Ajax academy from Feyenoord in 2014 and has enjoyed a rapid progression through the ranks at the club. The defender broke into the first-team setup at the club in March 2020, at the age of 18, with ten Hag handing him his debut for the Eredivisie giants. Since then, the defender has grown into a mainstay at the back for the club.
To date, Timber has made 74 appearances for Ajax, scoring four goals. He also has six caps for the Dutch national team, having made his debut for the Oranje in June last year. A centre-back primarily, the 20-year-old is capable of playing at right-back as well.
Ten Hag has taken over the reins as the manager of Manchester United and is looking to build a squad in his own image as he plans to take the team back to the top after a dismal campaign. And the defence is an area that the 52-year-old tactician is keen on strengthening, which is understandable considering the woeful displays from the Manchester United backline in the season gone by.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof endured poor campaigns. while Raphael Varane’s debut season in England was marred by injuries. Plus, with Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, and Axel Tuanzebe expected to move on in the summer, Manchester United could do with the addition of at least one new centre-back before the upcoming season.
And Timber has emerged as the top target for ten Hag, given the familiarity aspect and the fact that the 20-year-old has bags of potential and could become a mainstay at the heart of the Manchester United defence for years to come.
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Timber has a contract with Ajax that runs until the summer of 2024. But the Dutch champions would be open to doing business for a free of £35 million, which is unlikely to be an issue for Manchester United. The Red Devils will now look to try and get the deal done as early as possible to provide the player enough time to gel with the rest of the team before the season starts.
