The European football season is over, and that means the transfer rumor mill is going into overdrive. The Champions League final has been run and done, signifying the end of the footballing calendar in Europe. Now, it’s time to cast an eye on the player movement market.
Almost every club in the Premier League will be on the lookout for someone. A player that can transform their fortunes, or just keep standards up. From champions in Manchester City to newly promoted Nottingham Forest, they will all be on the lookout for a player that can improve their squad.
Jurrien Timber
It’s all Dutch-everything at Old Trafford if the paper talk is to be believed. Not only do they have a shiny new Dutch coach in Erik Ten Hag, but they linked with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. Reports have also linked them with one of the hottest properties in the Eredivisie, the Dutch top flight.
That’s right, I am speaking of Jurrien Timber. The 20-year-old Ajax Amsterdam central defender is touted as a potential cure all to the Manchester United defensive mess.
Reports indicate his name reverberates around the halls of the scouting department’s office of the Red Devils.
His current club has no interest in letting him go. His contract doesn’t expire for two years, so there is no rush to sell. Ajax also has a spot in the group stage of the Champions League, which might also help them hold on to their versatile defensive star.
However, the lure of the Theater of Dreams is hard to resist, and when you add that to the fact that the gaffer that gave him his big break will prowl the touchline next season and it would not be surprising to see the deal get done.
And we haven’t even mentioned the financial might of Manchester United.
Forbes recently valued Ajax Amsterdam at $413 million. Manchester United, one of the world’s biggest clubs, is worth more than ten times that, sitting at a valuation of $4.6 billion.
Jurrien Timber had a stellar 21/22 season. The defender made a career high 43 appearances for Ajax, including playing in every single one of their Champions league matches. Not only did he make his mark on the continent, he had a tremendous season domestically appearing in 30 matches as Ajax secured the Eredivisie title.
MY TWO CENTS – LIKELIHOOD 50%
I think Jurrien Timber would be a superb signing for Manchester United. That much is not in doubt. The issue I see with the signing is twofold. First, Ajax is under no obligation to sell. Timber still has two years left on his deal. Second, he is just twenty years old.
Would he play week in, week out at Manchester United in the Premier League? If he doesn’t, it will affect his development.
I echo the sentiments of Louis Van Gaal, who had this to say regarding a potential transfer to Manchester United. “I think a player of his quality can play in the Premier League. That is not a problem. If he has to make this big step now, that’s the question. (If he does not play) then he is not so wise, I think. He has to play.”
And it is for those reasons that I only give this transfer a 50/50 chance of happening.
Stuart Kavanagh is a sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.