Jurrien Timber has been given permission to undergo his medical after Arsenal agreed a £39m deal with Ajax for the defender, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Tuesday that the Gunners have reached a full agreement for West Ham skipper Declan Rice, and now they have finalised a deal for Timber as well.
Arsenal have been in talks with Ajax discussing a move for the 22-year-old and discussions have progressed well in recent days. The Athletic journalist David Ornstein claims that a deal has now been agreed between the two clubs.
The Gunners will pay a fee of £34.3m upfront plus £4.3m in bonuses for the Dutch defender, and Timber has now been given permission to undergo his medical and finalise personal terms ahead of his move to North London.
Arsenal made an offer worth in the region of £30m for Timber last month but they were told to increase the bid. After some intense talks with Ajax, an agreement has finally been reached and the defender is now set to complete his move over the coming days.
Massive week
It’s been a massive week for the Gunners so far. They have already clinched an historic deal to sign Rice – who will become the club’s record signing in a deal worth up to £105m.
The signing of Timber could be equally exciting as he’s one of the most highly-rated defenders in Europe. He made 34 Eredivisie appearances in 2022-23 for Ajax, scoring twice and registering two assists.
The 15-times capped Netherlands international has predominantly played as a centre-back but he’s also more than comfortable at right-back where he can drift into midfield when in possession.
He will offer support and competition to William Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s defence, but Mikel Arteta is likely to use him as a right-back, with Ben White moving to his customary centre-back role.
It looks like the Gunners will be able to complete both deals in the next few days. Arsenal have already signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea, and they are about to secure two more signings as Arteta continues to build a squad capable of competing on all fronts next season.
