Manchester United have been dealt a seemingly final blow in their pursuit of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber as new Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder has revealed that he is ‘assuming’ the 20-year-old will be remaining in Amsterdam this summer.
New Red Devil boss Erik ten Hag was thought to be keen on bringing Timber with him from Amsterdam to Old Trafford, and the defender initially appeared keen on a deal.
However, it seems as though such a move would have severely hampered his chances of heading to the World Cup in November as part of the Netherlands squad, with former Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal warning that he would not be selected without regular game time.
🗣️ “Louis Van Gaal made it clear that he would not be in his Dutch team if he wasn’t playing every week for United”
Marcel Van Der Kraan reports that Louis Van Gaal may have affected Jurrien Timber’s potential transfer to Manchester United ❌ pic.twitter.com/Gtn1sOuV2M
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 19, 2022
Now, new Ajax boss Schreuder has revealed that he expects the young defender to remain this summer.
“I have spoken with Jurrien and I am assuming he is staying at Ajax”, he explained.
“Timber is a smart guy and he knows what is best for himself. We think he is not done at Ajax yet”, he added.
Chelsea join the race for Antony
And, in what could be a double blow for the Red Devils, Chelsea have reportedly joined the race for Ajax winger Antony, who the Dutch side value at between £60m and £70m should he be sold this summer.
The Blues, like Manchester United, are in the market for a wide forward this summer. And, with Raphinha the subject of interest from Arsenal and Tottenham, while Ousmane Dembele’s Barcelona future remains unclear, they have turned their attentions to the young Brazilian, according to the Daily Mail.
It could force Manchester United and Erik ten Hag to fork out a premium for the wide man should they want to land their man.
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