Arsenal given Timber transfer warning by Dutch legend

Stuart Telford

• 22 Jun 2023 19:37 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal are set to beat Manchester United to the signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, but Wesley Sneijder doesn't think his fellow Dutchman's acquisition is such a good idea.

Timber helped Ajax to the Dutch domestic double under Erik ten Hag in 2021, and he has long been regarded as one of the manager's top transfer targets at Old Trafford.

But with the Glazer family dragging their feet about selling the club to Sheikh Jassim or Sir Jim Ratcliffe - if at all - much of their transfer activity has been on hold, and Arsenal have taken the opportunity to pounce.

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal HIJACKED Timber from Man Utd and Liverpool

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reports that player and club have agreed personal terms, although Arsenal and Ajax still need to negotiate a fee with the Gunners' initial £30 million (€35m) bid rejected.

Whilst stealing a player from under Man Utd's noses would be a boon for most Gunners fans, former Netherlands midfielder Sneijder doubts how good an acquisition Timber would be for any Premier League club.

'Wardrobes in the Premier League'

"He's a smart lad and a really good defender," the former Inter Milan star told Dutch TV show Veronica Offside. "But he loses every header and in England - against those wardrobes in the Premier League - that'll be his downfall."

READ: Havertz, Rice and Timber: Is Arteta trying to rip off Guardiola?

Timber stands at 6'-tall, making him far from the shortest centre-back in the Premier League, although a potential tactical shift at Arsenal next season might make his aerial ability - or lack thereof - less of an issue.

With Kai Havertz and Declan Rice also targeted, Mikel Arteta could be tempted to emulate Pep Guardiola's 3-2-4-1 at Manchester City next term, and Timber could find himself on the right-hand side of a back three.

Sniejder himself is only 5'6". An attacking midfielder in his pomp, he won the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010, the same summer he helped the Netherlands to the World Cup final.