22 June 2023 , 07:00
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Ajax defender Jurrien Timber has reportedly made his intentions known with Arsenal battling a host of other clubs to sign him this summer.
Despite Mikel Arteta's intense pursuit of Declan Rice, with West Ham rejecting a second, improved, offer of £90 million from their London rivals this week, the Gunners are still trying to negotiate other deals. The club are closing in on the signing of Chelsea's Kai Havertz, with Brighton's Moises Caicedo also being tracked.
But one target appears to have got away. Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan is set to join Barcelona on a free transfer, a development which ups the pressure on Arsenal's owners to get some signings over the line.
And like Liverpool and Manchester United, the club have been linked with a move for Dutch international Timber, having already had a reported £30 million bid rejected. The 22-year-old has already helped his club to two Eredivisie titles, as well as winning 15 caps his country.
But it's not just Premier League clubs who are preparing a bid. Now, De Telegraaf have reported that the centre back is also the subject of interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, and is being lined up as a potential replacement for Benjamin Pavard.
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However, the Dutch media outlet also claims that Timber's favoured move is to the Emirates. And with the star "certain" to leave Ajax this summer, the ball is seemingly in Arsenal's court as they bid for reinforcements ahead of their return to the Champions League.
Jurrien Timber could leave Ajax this summer (Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Would Timber be a good signing for Arsenal ? Comment below.
Timber's versatility is also likely to appeal to Arteta, with the player capable of playing as a right back as well as at the heart of a back four. And his style of play also fits into the current mould of the North London club, adept at passing the ball out from the back and contributing to attacks.
Arsenal's lack of defensive reinforcements last season arguably cost them dear. Amid their end-of-season collapse, fans and pundits pinpointed the absence of William Saliba, who missed the last three months of the campaign with a back injury.
Full back Oleksandr Zinchenko also missed the final three games of the Premier League campaign. The Gunners went on to lose two of those, as their title challenge petered out at the hands of Manchester City.