“It will just be interesting to see him” - Gary Neville names 23-year-old Arsenal star as player to watch this season
Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber is one player fans should keep an eye on this season. The legendary defender also admitted that he is looking forward to seeing how Timber performs due to the Gunners not making any transfers this summer.
Mikel Arteta has bolstered his squad in recent weeks, recruiting both David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori on permanent deals. There has been a lot of anticipation amongst fans to see the latter in action, given his versatility and performances at Euro 2024.
Neville instead named Timber as his player to watch. He explained his decision on Sky Sports (via METRO):
"I was looking forward to Timber coming to Arsenal and adding defensive stability and they did that without him. The fact that he has been out for so long, it will just be interesting to see him. Arsenal haven’t made many additions so he feels like a new addition and I am looking forward to seeing how he fits in."
The Gunners signed Timber from Ajax last summer for a reported fee of £34 million. He made two appearances last season before suffering a cruciate ligament tear, which sidelined him for 45 games, missing most of the campaign in the process.
Fans are yet to see the best of Jurrien Timber who will be hoping to have a breakthrough season at the Emirates this year. The 23-year-old is capable of playing as a centre-back and full-back but faces stiff competition with his peers.
Micah Richards urges Arsenal to sign striker after opening Premier League weekend
Pundit Micah Richards has advised Arsenal to sign Brentford forward Ivan Toney after the Gunners defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 in their opening Premier League clash (August 17).
Following their win, Mikel Arteta hinted they would not be targeting a new forward despite being linked with Toney and Viktor Gyokeres this summer.
Richards believes this would be a massive error, as he said on The Rest Is Football podcast (via METRO):
"You know who I would go and buy? Ivan Toney. He was left out obviously and there’s talk about him going to Saudi. He might not be ideal for Arsenal’s style, how they want to press and play, but he’s a different option from off the bench."
He added:
"He would give them something different, a different dimension. Especially looking at the numbers, he’s got a year left on his contract and there was talk about him going for only £15m. For a player who was valued at £70m a couple of seasons ago. In terms of what he can offer, I think he would be a good fit."
Ivan Toney was left out of Brentford's opening fixture against Crystal Palace this weekend due to being involved in talks to leave the club. While the Gunners have the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Eddie Nketiah up front, Toney's addition could boost their title aspirations this season.