Arsenal transfer sees player 'refuse to train' as impact of Timber deal felt

14 July 2023 , 14:23

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Arsenal transfer sees player 'refuse to train' as impact of Timber deal felt

Arsenal's move for Jurrien Timber has led to a civil war at Ajax with captain Dusan Tadic refusing to report for pre-season training.

The Dutch giants missed out on qualification for the Champions League last term after only managing to finish third in the Eredivisie. That has led to a number of their players coming in for interest from abroad, with Ajax possessing an impressive squad.

One of those stars is Timber, who completed a £40million move to the Gunners on Friday afternoon. The announcement means that the Dutchman joining a long list of players to depart the Johan Cruyff Arena.

But Timber's move to the Emirates Stadium has infuriated Tadic, with Dutch paper AD reporting he is refusing to report for training as a result. Ajax's international players returned from their extended holiday earlier this week, but Tadic was not among them.

The Dutch side have claimed that Tadic's absence is due to 'private reasons', though he has held talks with technical director Sven Mislintat. The main reason for his decision to stay away is said to be unhappiness with the state of the squad.

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In particular, Tadic is frustrated with the decreasing quality of players in defence, especially with Timber on his way out. Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martínez and Daley Blind all departed last summer, with Timber now following them out the door.

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Jurrien Timber's move to Arsenal has been confirmed, leaving some at Ajax unhappy

Tadic had been hopeful that the Dutch international would stay with Ajax, with the promise of an increased role in the team. Even before it was realised that Timber would exit, Ajax had been seeking to bring in reinforcements at centre-back.

So far, no new faces have arrived, with new boss Maurice Steijn forced to make do with what remains in Amsterdam. The lack of Champions League football is making things difficult for Ajax to bring in recruits.

Tadic still has a year left on his contract, though it is little surprise that he is making a stand. The midfielder sounded an alarm back in April about the direction of the team going forward, with so many stars being sold.

"For me, it is very important which direction Ajax will take next summer. I want to win prizes and that has to be done with a strong Ajax. I'm not staying here to fight for second place again. We need a lot of quality," he said at the time.

Now that Timber has joined Arsenal, further decreasing the options available to Steijn, Tadic's warning is coming true. Ajax are in danger of slipping further behind Feyenoord and PSV in the title race.

Timber's sale will bring in much-needed funds for Steijn to bring in new players, with several replacements for the defender having already been identified.

Jacob Leeks