Man Utd have held ‘conversations’ to sign £36m star at Old Trafford

Manchester United have ‘had some conversations’ to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber on top of their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has told GiveMeSport.

It has been widely reported that the Dutchman is Erik ten Hag’s number one target this summer, but he isn’t the only name on the agenda for the Red Devils.

What is the latest on Jurrien Timber?

The Guardian reported at the end of May that Ten Hag wanted to make the 20-year-old one of his first signings at Old Trafford, with De Telegraaf, per The Mirror, reporting that United haven’t been put off by the £36m price tag.

Doubts over a switch to Old Trafford may have also been raised by the Dutchman’s national team manager – and former United boss – Louis van Gaal, who has reminded the youngster that he needs to be playing regular football with the World Cup in Qatar now less than six months away.

With the presence of Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire in the Red Devils’ backline, it remains to be seen how many starts Timber would make if he did make the switch to the Premier League.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Timber?

Asked whether United are pursuing any other deals on top of De Jong right now such as Timber, his Ajax teammate Antony or Christian Eriksen, the renowned Italian journalist brought up the former although he confirmed there has been no offer to the Dutch club as things stand.

He told GiveMeSport: “These are possibilities that Manchester United are exploring. So for example, for Jurrien Timber they have had some conversations but there is still no official bid to Ajax.”

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Would Timber be a good signing for Man Utd?

He would certainly be a useful one for Ten Hag.

The 52-year-old knows he can rely on the defender given he played a big part in the squad that won successive Eredivisie titles under his leadership, while his versatility may also be an attractive proposition.

Not only can Timber play at centre-back, but he is also able to play at right-back too and that could be a key factor in why United are keen.

Of course, the Red Devils currently have Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka who can play at full-back on that side, but the latter is being heavily linked with a loan return to Crystal Palace now which suggests he may be surplus to requirements – for this season at least.

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