After his arrival from Ajax last summer, it was anticipated that Jurrien Timber could have a transformative effect on Arsenal’s defence.
As it transpired, however, Timber was only involved in Arsenal’s first and last games of the Premier League campaign as he spent the majority of the season on the sidelines as a result of the ACL injury he suffered against Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.
There is much excitement, though, with regards to the impact that a fully-fit Timber could have for Arsenal next season as they continue their pursuit of silverware.
When watching Timber his technical ability is immediately evident, which makes him a perfect fit for Mikel Arteta‘s team.
Jurrien Timber’s versatility is a key asset
Furthermore, the 22-year-old is a very versatile player who is capable of performing effectively across the back line.
Timber featured at right-back when he came on as a substitute against Everton last weekend and proceeded to give a good account of himself.
It remains to be seen what Timber’s main position will be for Arsenal, but his dynamism when used in either full-back berth offers much excitement.
As he demonstrated when deployed at left-back while playing for Arsenal’s U21 side against Blackburn Rovers as part of his recovery from injury, Timber is capable of pushing forwards to excellent effect.
Timber scored a superb goal against Blackburn and also showed that he can play the inverted full-back role well as he often drifted infield.
Keeping fit for the entire campaign will be Timber’s first objective for the 2024-25 season, but beyond that the Dutchman will be eager to show why Arteta rates him so highly.
Mikel Arteta can have a wealth of options in defence
Timber’s versatility will provide Arteta with various different options with regards to how he constructs his defence.
Ben White has been Arsenal’s main right-back over the past couple of seasons and has often performed to a very high standard, but Timber will give Arsenal greater depth in that position, which will also give Arsenal the option to move White to centre-back in the event that either William Saliba or Gabriel are injured.
Alternatively, Timber could feature at left-back and add to Arsenal’s range of options in that position. Arteta can currently call upon the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior, but he now has another player to choose from in Timber.
Timber could also potentially be used at centre-back himself, with his passing and impressive reading of the game likely to help him if he is called upon in that position.
Having different options in defence will make Arsenal less predictable for their opponents and could help Arteta’s team during challenging moments of the season as they look to win the Premier League title.