During a week in which Arsenal are looking to wrap up a club-record £105million move for Declan Rice, the signing of Jurrien Timber has the potential to fly under the radar.
The defender has finalised a £38.5m switch from Ajax, significantly less than the fee for Rice and the £65m Arsenal paid to buy Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
But, while Timber may be the cheapest signing of their £200m summer recruitment drive, he is backing himself to make a big impact at the Emirates Stadium.
The 22-year-old Netherlands international arrives from the Eredivisie with a growing reputation and will primarily provide competition for Ben White at right-back. Arsenal believe he can tuck into midfield from there, much like Oleksandr Zinchenko does at left-back.
When Zinchenko was out last season, the Gunners faltered, but Mikel Arteta believes Timber can now provide a viable solution from the opposite flank. He will also provide cover at centre-back, which is where he established himself at Ajax.
Erik ten Hag handed Timber his senior debut when he was 18 in 2020 and was particularly impressed by his composure on the ball. That has become a hallmark of his game, and he had more touches than any other player in the Eredivisie last season. “I think it's also in my personality. I'm calm,” Timber has said. “I radiate that on the pitch, too.”
When Ten Hag left Ajax to join Manchester United last year, he earmarked Timber as a future captain and tried to take him with him to Old Trafford.
Timber was eventually persuaded to stay at Ajax, extending his contract by a year to 2025. Part of that decision was down to his loyalty to Ajax (he grew up sleeping in Ajax bedsheets), while another factor was Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal encouraging players to stay put until after the winter World Cup in Qatar, which is advice Cody Gakpo also followed before joining Liverpool in January.
It was always thought Timber would leave this summer, though, and Arsenal have moved quickly to sign him.
Timber fits the mould of Arsenal's signings this summer in that he is young, versatile and coming into his peak years. He has been revered for his ability on the ball, but his defensive qualities should not be overlooked. He also managed to go the whole of the 2021-22 season without receiving a single yellow card.
“I wasn't nearly as far along as he is now [at the same age],” said Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk in the months before last year's World Cup. “I have nothing but praise for him. He is a great player and a true professional. He has so much potential.”
Timber's talent was clear from an early age, when he and his twin brother, Quentin, joined their local team in Utrecht at the age of four. Despite playing with children three years older, they stood out, even if it was hard to work out who was who, given their similar looks.
They were signed by Feyenoord at the age of seven but, by the time they were teenagers, the twins were at Ajax.
Jurrien was revered for his organisation and coolness on the ball, while Quentin caught the eye with his flair. The two have gone different paths, with Quentin back at Feyenoord, but even this season they still lived together and shared a bedroom at the house of their mother, Marilyn. The twins have three other brothers and they are close, with one, Christopher, working as one of Jurrien's agents.
Now they will be separated, as Jurrien continues his journey with Arsenal. It is unlikely to faze him, however, with his calm style on the pitch very much replicated off it. He is a relaxed individual, taking things in his stride, and is not superstitious, although he does often pray before games and takes a Bible with him for away matches in Europe.
Coming through the ranks at Ajax, Timber used to study fellow centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, but, unlike him, is not blessed with height. Timber is 5ft 9in and some have questioned if that may cause him to struggle in England. He and Arsenal are confident he will prove any doubters wrong.
