Does Manchester United Stand a Chance in Signing Ajax Centre Back?

Manchester United have identified the defensive line as the biggest area of concern following a poor showing at the back last season. It is almost becoming cliche to say that: if it was not for David de Gea, it could have been a lot worse than a sixth-place finish.

With that being said, Man United’s new boss has told the club that his former player, Jurrien Timber, must be their first summer addition. Last week, subsequently after the arrival of Erik Ten Hag, Man United were rumoured to be in for the Dutch centre back and that the player and club were already in advanced talks.

Some reports went as far as saying that a deal between the defender and potential buyers has already been agreed upon, and it was only for the clubs to settle on a fee. However, the latter reports appear to be way off the mark and Timber has taken a step back to suss out his situation.

Jurrien Timber’s Words Not Encouraging for Manchester United

Added to the off-the-mark news, Timber spoke about his future at Ajax and the important factors that will influence his decision for next season; hence his hesitation to entertain an Old Trafford swap.

As many are well aware, Manchester United will miss out on next season’s Champions League and will be nothing more than supporters of the competition. Ajax, worryingly for them, are in the competition.

This has put him in a state of no rush; he is not in a hurry to make a move to a “bigger” club and judging by the pair of clubs’ respective situations, he is more than right to question a transfer to the Theatre of Dreams.

Weighing up his options has allowed him to see things more straightforward but he still he hasn’t ruled out a move.

Jurrien Timber Speaking Amid Links to the Red Devils:

"In the end, my gut feeling will be the deciding factor.The picture has to be right. You can go to a big club, but if you’re not going to play there it’s better to stay with Ajax. And Ajax is also a big club.We play football in the Champions League and I play there together with the best players in the Netherlands. That is not nothing.(Via: goal.com)"

Mid-Season Manchester United Were Calm About Their Situation

No football in Europe’s biggest club competition is already affecting the Red Devils’ transfer plans. The Manchester club was quite confident during mid-season that this specific issue would be easy to overcome.

They cited the arrival of Paul Pogba under Jose Mourinho back in 2016 to display their pulling power as one of the biggest clubs in England. Well, it hasn’t taken long and already the assumption of them not struggling with incomings is being put to the test.

One could even go as far as saying, Paul Pogba might have stayed on longer if they had UCL football next season, it would have undoubtedly made his decision a lot more difficult to make.

United’s faithful must not give up hope. They are known for handing out ludicrous salaries to new players. This one might not be that much different in trying to convince him to switch to Old Trafford.

Take Jadon Sancho’s transfer to the Red Devils. He snubbed the chance to play under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and join an inconsistent United team led by the then manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer; they now pay him £350k-per-week.