Arsenal dealt major blow in pursuit of Eredivisie star

Cameron Smith

12 Dec 2023 00:53 CST
3 min read

Arsenal’s hopes of signing Quinten Timber have been dashed following reports that Fulham have identified the Feyenoord star as the ideal replacement for Joao Palhinha.

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In October, it was reported that Mikel Arteta wanted to unite Timber with his brother Jurrien, who joined Arsenal from Ajax this summer.

The Dutch international has barely featured this campaign, however, after suffering a crushing ACL injury on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest.

Amid rumours of Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal during the January transfer window, the Gunners identified Timber as a possible replacement following his impressive form at Feyenoord over the past year.

Arne Slot has helped the midfielder reach the highest level of his playing career thus far and his performances have attracted interest from the Premier League.

Now, Arsenal face competition for his signature as Fulham have entered the race to sign Timber, according to TeamTALK’s Dean Jones.

The report states that Fulham will send scouts to watch Timber in action against Celtic in the Champions League, while several other clubs will also be in attendance to check out Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez.

Timber to join Fulham as Palhinha’s replacement?

Marco Silva’s side are eyeing up midfield reinforcements amid transfer talk surrounding Portugal international Palhinha.

Bayern Munich wanted to sign the 28-year-old defensive midfielder during the summer, but they failed with a Deadline Day bid and are expected to return with a new offer in January.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have also been linked with a mid-season move for Palhinha, but it remains to be seen if Fulham will sanction a sale just months after he signed a new contract at Craven Cottage.

While Timber is now on Fulham’s shortlist of replacements, they are also keen on landing Fluminense midfielder Andre, as reported by FootballTransfers in November. We understand that Fulham are currently leading the race to sign the Brazilian, but a concrete proposal has not been lodged.