Jurrien Timber will complete a £45million move to Arsenal this week - despite a warning from Dutch legend Marco van Basten that he could become stuck on the bench at the Emirates.
Timber has agreed a five-year contract with the Gunners after Ajax accepted a third offer for their 22-year-old defender that will net them £40million up front and £5million in add-ons. And he is scheduled to arrive in London in the next 72 hours to seal the deal.
But Timber was given a bitter send-off by former Holland striker Van Basten when the pair appeared live together on Dutch TV - with the outspoken pundit warning the player that he is making a big mistake.
Van Basten told him: “You have only been playing at Ajax for just three years. How old are you now? Twenty-one or just turned 22? You have to be careful that you don’t become a reserve player there.
“I would have waited to get more experience. Another year at Ajax would have suited you. You shouldn't go somewhere just to participate. You should go to a club where you will be regarded as a leader and a dominant figure in the team. Everyone in the dressing room at your new club will look at you and say ‘go on, show us what you can do.’
“And if your fellow players don't feel you can really improve the team, then they're all against you. You will be considered an intruder.”
Timber turned down Manchester United last summer after Holland boss Louis van Gaal warned the defender that joining his old club would seriously damage his chances of going to the World Cup.
But his decision to stay with an Ajax team that had been damaged by coach Erik ten Hag’s departure to Old Trafford and the loss of several key players saw the Amsterdam club struggle.
Van Basten added: “You know yourself you were struggling this year at Ajax. The players were not the same quality maybe as in another year and you were suddenly not so good. You had a very different season from the year before. Last year you were good, this year you had a lot of problems.
“Timber is a technically skilled player. His biggest strength is the build up from the back. He is comfortable with the ball and in the good times for Ajax, they were playing brilliantly because of Timber’s style in defence.”
Timber is not scared to take chances with his career. When he was a teenager, he moved with his twin brother Quinten from Feyenoord to bitter rivals Ajax despite a backlash from fans of the Rotterdam club.
His sibling then returned to Feyenoord last summer. When Timber started playing organised football at the age of five he joined DVSU, the Utrecht-based junior club whose kids have always worn an Arsenal kit.
The Timber twins were so good that the club signed them up despite having to play with boys who were three years older. They were helped to settle in by older brothers Dylan and Chris.
DVSU coach Twan Lenders recalls: “There was a massive waiting list for the academy. We had a policy that the children who were first on the waiting list were first in line.
“But that didn't apply to Jurrien and Quinten. Because brother Dylan was in the team and Chris was also at the club, Jurrien and Quinten were put in the team at the age of five.
“As young as they were, the three brothers carried the team. We ended up becoming champions against boys who were much older.”
