Manchester United are in contact with Ajax in terms of Jurrien Timber, with Erik ten Hag wanting to turn the defender into one of his first signings.
Ten Hag is a staunch fan of Timber, having made his Eredivisie debut in March 2020, and the 20-year-old defender has been an integral part of Ajax’s winning field for the last two seasons under its direction.
Timber is primarily a central defender who can also act as a winger. The central defense is a particular weakness of the Ten Hag team due to the uneven form of Harry Maguire, Raphaël Varane and Victor Lindelöf, the front line players in the position. His replacements, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, are prone to injury and could leave this summer.
Timber, who has six games in the Netherlands, has two years left on his contract, so Ajax can value him at around € 50 million (£ 43 million). United’s discussions with the club are at an early stage, and it is understood that Ajax have offered new terms to Timber.
Ten Hag also monitors Villarreal’s Pau Torres center-back. The 25-year-old Spaniard has more experience than Timber, having made his debut in 2017, and has a release clause of around 60 million euros. His terms expire in the summer of 2024, but he has been offered a new contract.
On his future, Torres told AS: “There is nothing right now. I have the peace of mind of being where they want me to be, in the club of my life and I have this offer right now that I value as very positive ”.