Jurrien Timber has been an ever-present in Arsenal’s squad this season, with the Dutchman finally showing his quality in a Gunners shirt.
After moving to north London from Ajax in the summer of 2023 in a deal worth up to £38million, expectations were high of the Dutchman. Capable of playing anywhere across the backline, Mikel Arteta pushed hard to sign the versatile defender and it was thought he could help take Arsenal to the next level.
Things did not work out as planned, though. In the first Premier League match of the 2023/24 season, Timber tore his ACL and did not feature again until the last game of the campaign. It was an incredibly frustrating period for the former Ajax man but he worked extremely hard to be fully fit ahead of the current campaign.
“It is not easy to come to a big club like here and start to set expectations with his performances and then on day one in the Premier League you are out for the season,” Arteta told the club’s official website. “But mentally he is a really tough boy.
“He is so willing, you can see that in his body language and the way he acts. He has worked so hard, I think he is in a really good place at the moment.”
Arteta added: “He is a leader. He loves to be on show and a big presence in everything that we do. He is very vocal and extremely gifted technically. He is a great addition to the team.”
