Liverpool target Jurrien Timber will “probably” make the move to Anfield for "crazy money", according to former professionals turned pundits Andy Van Der Meijde and Wesley Sneijder.
Who is Jurrien Timber?
Timber currently plays his football at Ajax having worked his way up through the academy ranks at the Johan Cruyff Arena to become a regular feature of John Heitinga’s first-team, making 119 senior appearances to date.
The Netherlands international has started all 32 Eredivisie games this season and his consistent string of performances haven’t gone unnoticed by Jurgen Klopp and several other managers in the Premier League.
90min have reported that the Merseyside outfit, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are all interested in striking a deal for the 21-year-old, who has asked his representatives to explore the chances of a move elsewhere, and rumours of a switch to L4 were fuelled after his girlfriend was claimed to be house hunting in the area by journalist Wilfred Genee.
Are Liverpool signing Timber?
According to Van Der Meijde and Sneijder (via Sport Witness), Ajax are likely to sanction a mass exodus of some of their most prized assets this summer, including Timber, who has been name-checked as a possible new signing for Liverpool. 38 year-old Sneijder first said:
“They will need the next three years to fix the current problems. That will not recover within a year, right? I heard the salaries that are paid this week. That is around fifty million a year that they have to pay. That is no longer coming in. And they are not going to sell players very easily either. There may be eight or nine players that Ajax will have to say goodbye to. But you also have to fill that up with quality, if you want to re-join very quickly.”
43 year-old Van Der Meijde added: “I think they will do that in a different way with the youth. Alvarez will leave for forty million, Kudus for thirty million and Timber will probably go to Liverpool. They also pay crazy money. Then you can start building again.”
Liverpool will know that Timber won’t come cheap as a result of him still having two years remaining on his contract, but with the centre-back having been dubbed a “leader” by Erik Ten Hag, FSG should weigh up an offer for a player with bags of top level experience at an early age.
The World Cup participant, who currently pockets £50k-per-week, has won 31 of his tackles from 43 players challenged this season and ranks in the 99th percentile for pass completion, so isn’t afraid to get stuck in and is extremely calm and composed in possession, as per FBRef.
The Eredivisie’s Best Young Player for 2022, who is a versatile operator with his flexibility to play in four different positions, also provides a threat at the opposite end of the pitch having posted ten goal contributions (six goals and four assists) in 119 Ajax outings, so he would slot perfectly into the heart of the backline should he put pen to paper.
