Dutch international defender Jurrien Timber turned down the opportunity to follow Erik ten Hag to Manchester United, but could now be ready to leave current club Ajax
Less than a year after stating that he would not transfer to Old Trafford, Jurrien Timber appears to have changed his mind on the possibility of joining Manchester United.
Timber, a Dutch international defender, excelled under Erik ten Hag’s coaching at Ajax last year, helping the club win the Eredivisie. Once Ten Hag took over as manager of the club, he was one of the players who was rᴜmored to be moving to Manchester United, but he ultimately decided to remain in Amsterdam, although his old teammates Lisandro Martinez and Antony moved on to other clubs.
Things were different, though, after only a few short months had passed. Ajax are playing catch-up in the fιght for the Dutch title as a result of a bad run of form that led to the dismissal of manager Alfred Schreuder in January. In addition, recent comments from their rising star are being closely examined in anticipation of the summer transfer window. “Transfer? According to Ajax Life, Timber was quoted as saying, “You never know what crosses your path.” “Over the course of this summer, I plan to evaluate my choices and settle on a path.”
“With Ajax, I’m feeling fantastic, and that’s vital for the time being. During the summer before last, there was interest; but, I decided to remain at Ajax.
Timber appeared in all 30 of the league’s games during the 2021-22 season when playing for Ten Hag, and he has continued to be a frequent selection throughout this season while playing for Schreuder and his successor, veteran Netherlands defender John Heitinga. After turning down a transfer to Manchester United, the Dutch national team included the 21-year-old player in their squads for the World Cup in 2022 and the European Championship in 2020.
The Dutch media claimed in July that Timber did not believe that his transfer to Manchester United the previous summer was appropriate for the stage of his career he is currently in. Later on, though, he would play down accusations that his old manager at United, Louis van Gaal, who was also his manager at the international level at the time, had discouraged him from making the transition.
In an interview with a Dutch publication, Timber stated that “many things that are printed in the media are untrue.” For example, when people allege that Louis van Gaal dissuaded me from joining Manchester United by telling me not to join the club. In fαct, he predicted that I would rack up minutes there.
“I believe that a player of his caliber is capable of competing in the Premier League. “There is no need to worry about that,” Van Gaal had stated earlier. “The question is whether or not he has to take this significant move right now. My opinion is that [making the move to United] is not very prudent. He can’t sit out the game.”
Timbers’ remarks were made in the midst of a challenging weekend for Manchester United, which saw the club suffer a record-setting 7-0 loss away at Liverpool, exposing the team’s defensive weaknesses. Ten Hag, who had just endured the most devastating loss of his career, referred to the performance as “unprofessional” and criticized the poor decision-making that had contributed to his team’s opponents scoring six goals in the second half of the game.
“You see what happens when you don’t keep standards,” the 53-year-old told Sky Sports. “We have made a lot of progress but you see what happens when you don’t keep standards.” “In the locker room, I voiced my opinion that what has happened here is not acceptable. Yet, there is just one game involved. We shall get back on our feet. This team is powerful enough, and we will regroup and get back on our feet.