Manchester United may revive interest in Ajax defender Jurien Timber in the summer transfer window.
The talented 21-year-old became the subject of intense speculation after Eric ten Hag became the manager of the Red Devils.
It was believed that the coach really wanted to take Timber from the Eredivisie champions with him, as he hoped to change United’s weakened defense.
Lisandro Martinez was invited instead, but given that the Argentine plays the role of left central defender in the back line, the signing of Timber would not be perceived as a contradiction.
However, the Dutch defender eventually signed a new contract with Ajax, although he only signed a one-year extension to extend it until 2025, suggesting a move in the near future is still possible.
And according to journalist Dean Jones, United did not cool down to the player.
“It definitely should be possible,” Jones said in an interview with Give Me Sport, talking about the possibility of a summer move to Old Trafford.
“Look at the situations with Lindelof and Maguire. At least it’s one of those two leaves.
Victor Lindelof is still replaced from time to time by Raphael Varane, but despite Harry Maguire’s impressive World Cup campaign with England, he remains far behind in the United hierarchy.
Ten Hag even decided to use Luke Shaw in the center of defense in the absence of Lisandro Martinez before moving to any of his backup center backs, which indicates a lack of confidence in the pair.
Since Timber is a player he knows well — which has recently become an important factor in United’s personnel policy — there is every chance that he can turn to his former player to replace the pair.
In particular, Maguire has been linked with the transfer. It is reported that West Ham and Aston Villa showed interest in the January transfer window, but their approaches were rejected because United lacked the depth of the squad.
However, a summer move remains on the cards for the club captain, and Timber would be an ideal replacement. He is also young enough to serve as an understudy to Raphael Varane, and versatile enough to cover right-back or even hold midfield, which means he will get a lot of playing time.
However, this could be an obstacle if Ten Hag wants to bring back another left-centre back to cover for Lisandro Martinez, given that United will need reinforcements higher up the pitch before looking for another pair of defenders.
Martinez is the only left—footed central defender in the team, and since Ten Hag prefers to field a left footer to the left of his defensive pair, this may prove to be a problem.
One solution may have already presented itself in the form of Luke Shaw, who made an impression filling in for Martinez as he celebrated Argentina’s World Cup triumph.
If Shaw continues to be used in this position, it could allow United to bring Timber to Old Trafford and still have the means to get an important first-team central striker and midfielder.
