Fans of Manchester United may be relieved that their transfer plans last year didn't quite pan out.
Even if Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez have been two of United's greatest players this year, neither of them would have been signed last summer if Erik ten Hag had his way. Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, the newly appointed manager sought to bring an Ajax influence and targeted two players with whom he had previously worked closely.
When it became evident that a deal for Frenkie de Jong would not go through, United stumbled across the arrival of Casemiro, while Martinez arrived after his old Ajax teammate Jurrien Timber rejected down a move.
This summer, Ten Hag is still interested in De Jong and Timber, and despite the passage of time, it makes sense for United to sign both of them.
Given his enormous price tag and his own reluctance to leave Barcelona, De Jong seems a seemingly improbable target for the creative midfield position, but a move for Timber may very well be a stroke of genius as United attempt to continue their rebuild.
In Amsterdam, the 21-year-old has had another fruitful season, starting all but one of his team's games in all competitions. Timber's decision to stay at Ajax has been validated by his stellar defensive performance, but after reaching a deal with the team last year, he has already hinted that he is likely to leave this summer.
"A transfer is getting closer and closer, so to speak," Timber said. "There is a lot of concrete interest and I have made agreements with Ajax. Last year Ajax asked me to stay for at least one more season and to extend my contract.
"After the season we will review the situation. At the Dutch national team, I often talk to boys who play football abroad. I want to take that step someday."
This summer, it's anticipated that United would look to add another center-back, although any such acquisition would need the initial transfer of either Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof.
They are probably looking for a guy who can fill in as a backup, which would be ideal for Timber as his next move after being exposed at Ajax.
He would gain from the chance to observe Raphael Varane in action at such a young age before possibly surpassing him in the years to come. Additionally, he has the advantage of prior defensive experience alongside Martinez.
The fact that Timber could not only address their concerns at center back but also their need for a new right back may be the most compelling argument for rekindling interest in a transfer.
Ten Hag is eager to bolster the right side of the defense with another alternative, but in order to do so, he must make a choice between Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot because both players have seen time as starts this year.
You could make an argument for keeping any of them moving ahead, and while adding a full-back who is more attack-minded would be wonderful, it might make more sense to bring in a player who isn't expected to start every week.
Jaap Stam, a former United player, recently speculated that Timber may move to United and said a fullback rather than a central defender would be more appropriate for the Premier League.
"You also have to look at combinations and chance of playing time," Stam told Algemeen Dagblad. "United can still use a defender, also because Raphael Varane is prone to injury and Harry Maguire is still disappointing.
"In England I therefore see United as the most logical option. And what I would like to see more often is Timber as a right-back. There are at United, where Dalot without the ball and Wan-Bissaka on the ball don't quite convince me yet."
"The intentions of the trainer are molded to Timber, but make no mistake: this is the Premier League,” Stam told Algemeen Dagblad, via the Daily Mail.
“There you can’t always be dominant, you have to duel much more against strikers like Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. Everyone with Lisandro MartÃnez was also curious about that. It turns out that he did it."
“With Timber, I just miss a certain amount of aggression – sometimes even being a little mean – in his game. That is also, for example, in giving the first blow before the real duels come. Martinez does. You can learn that too, but it has to be in you.”
Due to his versatility and the fact that he would be able to address two issues at once, Timber may be the best addition to the United team this summer.
Ten Hag desired him last summer; this summer, he could finally get him.
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