Arsenal are hopeful of completing a deal to sign star Jurrien Timber after submitting an initial £30million bid for the Dutchman.
The defender, a Netherlands international, has two years remaining on his deal in Amsterdam and is keen on moving to the .
Timber was close to following to last summer but decided to stay at Ajax after a warning from Louis van Gaal that any player not playing first team football will miss out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
That decision has played into Arsenal’s hands and the assumption after news of the Gunners’ bid was that Arteta was seeking a long-term centre back partner for William Saliba in Timber.
However, the Telegraph claim Arteta has grander plans for the Dutchman at the Emirates.
That’s because Arteta feels Timber can provide the right hand side of Arsenal’s defence with the tactical flexibility that Oleksandr Zinchenko has given on the left.
The Dutchman’s favoured position is centrally but he’s played plenty of matches for Ajax as a right-back and his speed, ability to step into midfield and passing range has been impressive.
Arteta played Thomas Partey as an inverted right-back towards the end of the season but the move didn’t pay off in a defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Timber is a more natural fit and more defensively-minded than Partey, which appeals to Arteta.
The Dutchman’s ability to play at centre-back, right-back and even defensive midfield, appeals to Arteta as Arsenal gear up to play Champions League football for the first time in seven years.
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