Incoming Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is ‘pushing ahead’ with a move for young Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, according to reports coming out of England.
Quizzed on the defender by the media, the Dutchman refused to shut down any speculation around the 20 year old, simply claiming that he would be surprised if there wasn’t plenty of interest.
‘I think all the top clubs in Europe have Timber in their sights. But I think that applies to a lot of Ajax players at the moment’, he revealed.
‘If Antony were to go, it would be a loss for Ajax, because you have no one in the current selection who can take over his position.’
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – SEPTEMBER 28: Jurrien Timber of AFC Ajax in action during the UEFA Champions League group C match between AFC Ajax and Besiktas at Amsterdam Arena on September 28, 2021 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Timber has excelled under ten Hag this season, making 30 Eredivisie appearances on the way to another title for the Amsterdam club, and will certainly be catching the eye of clubs aside from United. However, in their incoming boss, the Red Devils have a clear advantage in the race for his signature.
Contacts intensifying
Now, as per the Mirror, Timber is atop the list for the strengthening of the Manchester United squad this summer.
‘New United boss Erik ten Hag wants to bring Timber with him and the two clubs are understood to be in talks over a deal for the central defender’, they claim.
It would be the first of many signings at Old Trafford this summer, with Ralf Rangnick claiming that up to 10 new faces could walk through the door this summer.
And virtually every position, save for goalkeeper, is up for grabs.
‘United have targeted a striker, a creative and holding player, as well as a center-back this summer, while they are also looking at both full-back roles if the right players become available’, the report adds.
Should they complete the overhaul, they will have to find buyers for plenty of players long deemed not good enough for the club in order to balance the books. That could be harder than the signings themselves.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City | 37 | 72 | 90 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 36 | 65 | 86 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 36 | 42 | 70 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 37 | 24 | 68 |
| 5 | Arsenal FC | 36 | 11 | 66 |
| 6 | Manchester United | 37 | 1 | 58 |
| 7 | West Ham United | 37 | 11 | 56 |
| 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 37 | -3 | 51 |
| 9 | Leicester City | 36 | 0 | 48 |
| 10 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 37 | -4 | 48 |
| 11 | Brentford FC | 37 | -7 | 46 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 36 | 4 | 45 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 36 | -1 | 44 |
| 14 | Newcastle United | 36 | -21 | 43 |
| 15th | Southampton FC | 36 | -20 | 40 |
| 16 | Everton FC | 36 | -20 | 36 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 37 | -38 | 35 |
| 18 | Burnley FC | 36 | -18 | 34 |
| 19 | Watford FC | 37 | -42 | 23 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 37 | -56 | 22 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 22 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 21 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 18 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 16 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 15th |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 15th |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 15th |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 14 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City | 13 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace | 13 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 12 |
| Tony, Ivan | Brentford FC | 12 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 11 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 11 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City | 11 |
| Pukki, Teemu | Norwich City | 11 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa | 11 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City | 10 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 10 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 10 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xhaka, Granit | Arsenal FC | 1 | 10 |
| Firpo, Junior | Leeds United | 0 | 11 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 10 |
| Brownhill, Josh | Burnley FC | 0 | 10 |
| Bednarek, Jan | Southampton FC | 0 | 10 |
| Mings, Tyrone | Aston Villa | 0 | 10 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 10 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 10 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 9 |
| Moreno, Rodrigo | Leeds United | 0 | 9 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 9 |
| Mctominay, Scott | Manchester United | 0 | 9 |
| Salisu, Mohammed | Southampton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 0 | 8 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 7 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 7 |
| James, Daniel | Leeds United | 1 | 7 |
| Alonso, Marcos | Chelsea FC | 0 | 8 |
| Norgaard, Christian | Brentford FC | 0 | 8 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 12 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 10 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 10 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City | 10 |
| Robertson, Andy | Liverpool FC | 10 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 9 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 9 |
| Cancelo, Joao | Manchester City | 9 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City | 8 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 8 |
| Kulusevski, Dejan | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 7 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 7 |
| Antonio, Michael | West Ham United | 7 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 7 |
| James, Rece | Chelsea FC | 7 |
| Mbeumo, Bryan | Brentford FC | 7 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 6 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 6 |