Liverpool legend John Barnes believes Ajax defender Jurrien Timber could be a ‘good asset’ for Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League giants this summer.
The Dutch international certainly set tongues wagging when he admitted, a few weeks ago, that a move away from the Eredivisie giants was getting ‘closer’.
But where will he end up? Old Trafford, perhaps? A reunion with Erik ten Hag, Lisandro Martinez and Antony at Manchester United, the Red Devils having shown real interest in Timber during the summer of 2022.
According to one Dutch reporter, however, Timber’s girlfriend is looking for a house in Liverpool. Does this mean Virgil van Dijk could soon be joined at Anfield by a man he knows well from international duty? Timber and Van Dijk the centre-back partner for the future at both club and country?
Is Ajax defender Jurrien Timber heading to Liverpool?
“Of course, I know that he played together with Van Dijk in the Dutch national team. And according to the latest rumours, Van Dijk has told him that he has to go to Anfield,” Barnes, a two-time First Division champion with Liverpool in the 1980s, tells Soccernews.
“He is a good player and would therefore be a good asset to Liverpool.
“Liverpool also just needs to look for a new defender for the future. And, in that respect, Timber would of course be a fantastic option if we manage to capture him.”
Barnes wonders if Timber, a decade Van Dijk’s junior, could also be tasked with helping Jurgen Klopp move on from a bonafide modern-day great; Timber arriving to partner – and eventually replace – the club’s £75 million totem.
“Virgil is already over 30, and he will not stay with the club forever,” Barnes adds. “So, in the long run it’s not just about coming to The Reds to form a duo with Van Dijk.”
Timber is reportedly valued at £36 million.
The path may be about to become that little bit clearer for Liverpool too, Manchester United seemingly stepping up their pursuit of another right-footed centre-half in Napoli’s Kim Min-Jae.
‘Really special’
Former Old Trafford and Dutch icon Jaap Stam, meanwhile, has concerns about whether Timber could handle the step up to Premier League football. Then again, it’s not long since the critics were sharing similar doubts about Lisandro Martinez…
“He really has a lot of potential,” Stam tells Algemeen Dagblad. “But he doesn’t have to make a choice for the money or the name (of the club) now. We often see that go wrong.
“At Ajax, he has the guarantee of fighting for titles.”
“Clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona want players who are special on the ball. Timber also has that quality because he thinks ahead, can turn and dribble well,” Stam adds.
“Attacking trainers select on that basis, because such players easily create overloads and make the team increasingly dominant. Ten Hag likes Frenkie de Jong so much for a good reason.
“(Timber’s) technique makes him really special. And those players often fit better in La Liga – technically the best league in Europe – rather than the Premier League.”
Liverpool, meanwhile, kept their Champions League hopes alive on Monday night. A 3-0 win at Leicester City means the gap between the Reds and the Red Devils stands at just one point.
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