Rafael van der Vaart has given Jurrien Timber a glowing endorsement as he remains a target for Manchester United.
The Ajax defender enjoyed a stellar season as the Amsterdam outfit claimed the Eredivisie title under Erik ten Hag, who is now calling the shots at Old Trafford. He could yet return to raid his former club as he looks to bolster his ranks over the coming months.
Defensive options are set to be on Ten Hag's wishlist and Timber has been among those most heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford. Raphael Varane arrived last summer from Real Madrid but issues remain in United's backline and Timber may be pursued as a result.
Van der Vaart, who knows what the Premier League has to offer having played for Tottenham previously, has highlighted the 20-year-old's quality. “Timber is so quick, light feet, always sharp, never panicking on the ball. Almost like a great midfielder in defence,” he said.
Ten Hag currently has the likes of Harry Maguire, Varane and Victor Lindelof to pick from. Despite the quality at their disposal United last term still conceded 57 times, shipping five at home to Liverpool. Timber himself has remained coy on his future however, citing the opportunities that still exist for him at Ajax.
He recently 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.
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"Of course, I can develop further [at Ajax]. I am 100 per cent sure of that. I don't feel like I'm done at the club. But I can also develop at other clubs. I am now focusing on the upcoming international matches and then go on holiday. Then I'll have to think about it some more."
United have also been linked with the likes of Pau Torres, who helped Villarreal reach the last four of the Champions League. The Red Devils have previously been credited with interest in the Spaniard who may be open to moving on for a new challenge.
Ten Hag is yet to make any signings since arriving in Manchester. He's seen several major names leave for nothing as he plots his rebuild with reinforcements needed across the park. Support for Cristiano Ronaldo is also very much needed with the club light in attack.
