Timber explains decision to snub Man Utd for Arsenal move a year later

At 22-years-old, Timber has long been touted as one of the most promising young talents in football. Following four years at Ajax the defender gained several plaudits for his technical abilities and impressive work-rate, two things Mikel Arteta is known to admire.

However, it was Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag who wanted to sign his former player. The Dutch coach was able to enjoy his quality first-hand during his time as the manager of the Eredivisie side and was on the lookout for defensive reinforcements last summer. 

He was interested in a move to sign Timber, but the deal never materialised as the defender opted to stay at Ajax rather than following former teammates Lisandro Martinez and Antony to join Ten Hag at Old Trafford. Timber has now made the move to North London a year later and he has opened up on that decision after snubbing United a year ago.

“To be honest, I had some options but Arsenal was the only one I chose. It is a beautiful club,” Timber said. “Look at last year. Of course, the previous years were beautiful but last year you saw a major step. The team grows and I want to be a part of it.

“Sometimes it is just a feeling. The way they play, the way I talk with the trainer. I just had a good feeling with it. We have a strong team. Expectations are high because they had a great season last season and they bought some players. Let’s see what we can do.”

Timber is the Gunner’s third summer signing after finishing last season in second place, narrowly missing out to Manchester City. Arsenal’s first move saw former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz make the trip across London for a reported £65 million fee.

The deal was followed by a record-breaking £105 million move for ex-West Ham midfielder Declan Rice. Despite coming in for a smaller fee than his predecessors, Timber is joining the Premier League full of confidence after an impressive display in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

He added: “You can already see how you will play against the bigger teams and bigger opponents. I did well. But the World Cup was definitely a nice tournament for me so I got confidence from that.

“We are a good team. It was sad how it ended last season but we have a strong squad. It’s crazy I’ve played more Champions League games than some of my teammates but these guys have Premier League experience and that is on a different level.”