Why Jurrien Timber to Arsenal might be the most important transfer of summer window for Gunners

Jurrien Timber has joined Arsenal as the Gunners look to achieve major silverware in the 2023/24 season under Mikel Arteta.

Kai Havertz was the first new signing through the door as the German forward joined from London rival Chelsea.

Declan Rice is set to become the most expensive British footballer of all time once his £105 million ($135m) switch from West Ham is finalised, meaning Arteta hopes to have three flagship arrivals in place when preseason training commences

Arsenal finished second in the Premier League last season after a late collapse allowed Manchester City to win their third title in a row en route to a treble. The Gunners will want to go one better this year while also going deep into the Champions League.

The seemingly successful pursuit over Rice at City's expense has excited fans, but Timber could be the signing that proves to be more impactful. 

MORE: Premier League transfer spending rankings 2023/24

Why Jurrien Timber to Arsenal is a big deal for Gunners

One of the key turning points in Arsenal's run-in was the injury to William Saliba. The central defender was forced off with an injury against Sporting CP in the Europa League round of 16 and did not return for the rest of the season.

Rob Holding and January signing Jakub Kiwior both filled in for Saliba, but they could not replicate the performances of the 22-year-old. Arsenal went onto draw three consecutive games before damaging defeats to City and Brighton.

Timber gives Arteta the depth to help Arsenal push in both the Premier League and Champions League, while also covering any future injuries in defence without dropping the quality of the team. This would bring his squad another step closer to what Pep Guardiola has built in Manchester.

Arteta said he was "really excited" to have signed Timber. “Jurrien is a young player but has already achieved so much," said the Spaniard.

"He has experienced what it’s like to go to a major international tournament on more than one occasion, as well as the trophies he has won with Ajax. We look forward to welcoming and integrating Jurrien into the squad.”

What position does Jurrien Timber play?

Timber, who is also 22 years old, primarily operates as a centre-back for both Ajax and the Netherlands. He usually plays on the right side of the central pairing, but can also play on the left.

Versatility is a huge part of his appeal. Like Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, Timber can play as both a centre-back and a right-back. This allows the manager to cover more positions with fewer players.

Timber has also played at left-back a handful of times in his career and once filled in as a defensive midfielder. Like most top coaches, Arteta certainly cherishes players who can play multiple positions to a high standard.

"I'm lucky to say that I can play as a central defender, as a right full-back, sometimes even in midfield,” Timber said after arriving. “That's a good thing and I need to keep that. 

“I just like the way Arsenal play. It is 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."

Jurrien Timber transfer fee

With Havertz and Rice costing Arsenal in the region of £170m ($218.5), sporting director Edu and Arteta will certainly need to look for more cost-efficient signings for the rest of the window.

Arsenal completed a £34m/$44.6m deal for Timber on July 14, with the fee potentially rising £38.5m ($50.5m).

This can be considered a good price in the current market for young players. Manchester United paid an initial £48.5m ($61.5m) to sign central defender Lisandro Martinez from Ajax last summer.

MORE: Bothroyd: Rice not the be-all and end-all for Arsenal

Jurrien Timber skills

One of Timber's main strengths is his ability on the ball. He is able to progress forward as he is comfortable with dribbling up the pitch, but can also pick out a dangerous pass from a deeper position.

Defensively, Timber is good at tackling and reading attacking plays. However, he does struggle in aerial duels against bigger forwards. This could be an issue against players such as Erling Haaland, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Ivan Toney.

Jurrien Timber preferred foot, height and weight

According to the Ajax website, Timber is 5"10 (179cm). This is fairly small compared to other players in his position. Saliba is 6"3 (192cm) while centre-back partner Gabriel is 6"2 (190cm).

Timber weighs in at 79kg (174lbs) and is right-footed, hence his positioning on the right side of the defence. His weaker left foot is not terrible, which is why he can also play at left-back.

Jurrien Timber twin brother Quenten

Jurrien Timber is not the other person in his family that plays professional football. His twin-brother, Quenten Timber, is currently playing for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie. They were both born on June 17, 2001 and came through the Ajax youth system.

Quenten plays in midfield, but is also capable of playing at right-back like his brother. He helped Feyenoord to the Dutch league title last season and also captained the Netherlands Under-21 side at the European Championships in Georgia.

Timber said his brother's support for Arsenal as a youngster was one of the reasons he was thrilled to sign for the club. "I liked watching Robin van Persie of course, and Thierry Henry," he recalled. "They were my favourite players.”

Premier League 2023/24 TV channels, live streams

UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and TNT Sports streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.

USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on Fubo. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streamed exclusively via Fubo in Canada.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.

India: Star Sports network has the rights to show Premier League matches in India. As well as an English broadcast on Star Sports Select, select matches will be available via regional feeds on Star Sports 3 (in Bengali, English, Kannada, Malayalam), Star Sports 1 (Bangla) and Star Sports 1 (Tamil).