Arsenal announced on Friday the signing of Dutch defender Jurrien Timber from Eredevisie side, Ajax. The fee is reportedly €45 million for a five-year contract with the 22-year-old, making him the second most expensive defender in Arsenal’s history.
Another signing for Arsenal. The Gunners announced on Friday the signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, for €45 million according to ‘Sky Sports’.
This makes him their second-most expensive defender ever, after Ben White was signed for €58 million (£50 million) in 2021 from Brighton.
The club’s statement describes him as a “versatile player“, and he made over 120 appearances for Ajax in three seasons, where he won two league titles and a Dutch Cup.
“We’re really excited that Jurrien has joined us,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “He is a versatile young defender, who will fit into our system and provide our squad with so much added quality.”
He can operate at both centre-back and right-back and will bring added depth to an Arsenal defence that struggled to cope with injuries to William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu towards the end of last season
He will wear the ‘12‘ shirt, which has been vacated by William Saliba, who will now wear ‘2‘. He will join the team as they embark on their pre-season tour to the United States.
Kai Havertz has already joined from Chelsea in a £65 million deal, while Declan Rice is expected to complete a move worth up to £105 million from West Ham in the coming hours.
In a video posted to Arsenal’s Twitter, Timber confesses he always “wanted to play for one of the biggest and best teams in the world” and chose a club with “the right values, that develops young talent and has an unbreakable bond with its supporters”.
“I’m excited to play for this beautiful club, and I can’t wait to start, and to see the fans obviously in the stadium,” he said. “I just like the way Arsenal play, it’s a bit similar to Ajax’s style and I like to play from the back. I can see a lot of similarities, especially in the way Arsenal and Ajax want to play.”
JT12 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/Y3on2ZcKWC
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 14, 2023