The signing Arsenal needed

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Jurriën Timber has the potential to be a significant signing for Arsenal. The former Ajax defender was a relative snip at £34m, compared to fellow new arrivals Declan Rice (£105m) and Kai Havertz (£65m), but his value may lie in more than a transfer fee. It's what he could bring to a side hungry for success that makes him such an exciting addition.

Arsenal's 2022/23 title challenge was built on defensive solidity, but faltered when defender William Saliba was injured. With the acquisition of Timber, Mikel Arteta has bolstered his squad in this pivotal area.

The Dutchman arrived at Arsenal shortly after turning 22, with 121 Ajax appearances and 15 international caps to his name. He made his Ajax debut at the age of 18, and went on to win two league titles, a Dutch Cup and be named Eredivisie Player of the Year. With Arsenal back in the Champions League, their new signing comes with 15 appearances in the competition, as well as four World Cup starts for the Netherlands.

What can Arsenal fans expect from Timber? Our coaching experts have been monitoring his game to see what he has to offer Arteta's team…

Technical analysis

Timber is a right-footed defender who, at 5ft 10ins, is not the tallest centre-back. But he is aggressive, brave and clever in how he competes in aerial duels. This includes giving his opponent a crafty bump or nudge as they back into or run across him (below). The timing of this bump is crucial, giving him an extra yard to recover back, or additional power in the jump to win the first contact. Naturally, he tends to have less success against much taller forwards – especially target men who run across his eye-line and look to help the ball on to runners.

On the ground he is aggressive in duels, and looks to step across and intercept or clear the ball as it reaches the feet of his direct opponent. Again, he sometimes nudges the attacker just as they take their first touch, putting them off balance.

Timber has been known to concede fouls when he can’t get in front of an opponent, especially when the attacker changes body shape to receive at the last moment. He is clever, however, when defending from behind, ball-side and opposite defensive pressure from recovering teammates. In these situations he can force the ball into the pressure, to help his side regain possession (below). 

In possession

Timber is confident when stepping into midfield, from where he is very good at weighting through balls. He uses disguise when needed, and times his passes into runners with accuracy (below).

He can switch play from right to wide left, sending a well-driven pass in front of a teammate, allowing them to meet the ball on the shoulder of the last line. This enables the receiver, particularly left-footed full-backs or wingers, to break the back line on their first touch.

Arsenal's signing can also progress play with long balls straight down the pitch, though he can sometimes overhit them. He also likes to hit softer, lofted long passes from the right inside channel to runners in the left inside channel. Again, his distribution here can be inconsistent with what is a difficult pass to execute, particularly against a compact low block.

Aggressive defending

Timber was aggressive in his defending within Ajax's 4-3-3 shape; he ranked first for duels and second for aerial contests in the club's 2022/23 campaign. He regularly pressed into midfield to win second balls around Ajax’s most regular aerial dueller, defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez. He did likewise when his centre-back partner –Calvin Bassey, teenager Jorrel Hato or Álvarez when operating in the back line – competed for the first ball.

The Dutch international would jump out of the back line when Ajax lost the ball, demonstrating his ability to regain on transitions (below) as the midfield and advanced full-backs recovered from their high, in-possession positions. In doing so, he helped limit opposition counter-attacks and reduce the distance his teammates had to track back, allowing them to stay energised for the next attack. It also locked the opposition into their half for longer, allowing Ajax’s 4-3-3 to suffocate the opposition through sustained spells of possession. The club registered an average of 65 per cent in 2022/23 – the highest in the Eredivisie.  

Ball-playing central defender

In keeping with Ajax's possession-based style, Timber played a regular stream of through balls, breaking one or even two opposing lines. He provided the third-most through passes for Ajax in the 2022/23 Eredivisie, supplying the front line, forward-running number eights and overlapping full-backs. His connections through the right inside channel were particularly productive for Ajax. Here, he often found the likes of full-back Devyne Rensch, or attacking midfielders Dusan Tadic, Steven Berghuis and Mohammed Kudus.

Timber is comfortable stepping forward to receive behind the opposing front line (below), overloading midfield and, when not tracked, receiving under less pressure than staying in the back line. To do this, he needs a centre-back partner who is comfortable defending as the last man, or a versatile defensive midfielder who can play central defence – as he had with Álvarez at Ajax.

This movement was similar to John Stones in Manchester City's treble-winning season, but with a difference. Whereas Stones stayed in midfield when in possession, Timber moved forward at the last minute to receive the ball and play forward, before returning to the back line.

The Dutchman was at Wembley in May, to see Stones and City beat Manchester United to lift the FA Cup. Two months on, he will be back under the arch to face City himself, as the season – and his Arsenal career – kicks off with the Community Shield.

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Author: The Coaches' Voice