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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Marc Mayo

Manchester United target Jurrien Timber speaks out on transfer future: ‘My gut will be the deciding factor’

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber has spoken out on his future and given an insight into the factors that will shape his decision this summer.

The 20-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, now managed by his former boss Erik ten Hag, as the Premier League side look to bolster their ranks at centre-back and right-back.

Timber is currently away on international duty with the Netherlands ahead of four Nations League matches, and will make a call on his future when he then goes on holiday over the summer.

However, while he did not rule out a transfer away from Ajax, he revealed that he would only move if he knew he would be getting regular first-team football.

“In the end, my gut feeling will be the deciding factor,” Timber told De Telegraaf.

“The picture has to be right. You can go to a big club. But if you're not going to play there, it's better to stay with Ajax and Ajax is also a big club.

“We play football in the Champions League and I play there together with the best players in the Netherlands. That is not nothing.”

Timber was a regular for Ajax this season both domestically and in Europe, making 38 appearances across all competitions.

The defender believes he made improvements throughout the campaign but still has plenty to learn.

“I sometimes felt that it was my first real season with Ajax,” Timber added. “I have learned to play with aches and pains and I have started to perform more consistently.

“But I want to develop further. For example, I am not the tallest. That's why I train my jumping a lot, because I want to learn to head better. It is also a challenge to perform fairly consistently season after season - getting better from a standard level. That is my goal.”

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