Jurrien Timber sends message to Erik ten Hag after snubbing Manchester United for Arsenal

Timber spent many years at Ajax before making a £37.5m move to Arsenal over the summer.

With Timber able to operate well at centre-back and right-back, he looks set to be a great signing for the Gunners as they aim to build on last season’s success.

However, the 2022 summer transfer window saw Erik ten Hag trying to sign Timber for Manchester United.

No move came to pass, with Lisandro Martinez instead swapping Amsterdam for Manchester. But there were also rumours a few months ago that United were going back in for Timber.

That, of course, did not happen, but Timber has still paid tribute to ETH recently:

“Erik ten Hag gave me confidence and made me a much better footballer. I decided to stay an extra year at Ajax and develop as a player. Now the time feels right,” Timber said after Arsenal beat Barcelona 5-3 on Thursday.

“Every year I look at how I have grown as a defender — my ultimate goal is to become the best defender in the world. Last year I extended my contract and made agreements with the club about how I could leave.

“I was able to enjoy the best football training imaginable at Ajax and make great strides. If you can give something back in return in the form of a transfer fee of around £40m, this has been the almost perfect picture. Of course, last season was disappointing, but before that I won two league titles and enjoyed wonderful years.”

10 best forwards to pick for your 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League side

2023/24 FPL: 101 Best & Funniest Fantasy Premier League Team Names