The ‘inverted right-back’ Arsenal are in talks to sign

Arsenal are hoping to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber in a move that would add further depth and versatility to their back four.

Telegraph Sport understands that Timber has been top of Arsenal’s list of defensive targets for weeks, with Mikel Arteta looking to recruit a player who can provide quality competition as a right-back and central defender.

The 22-year-old is valued at around £50 million by Ajax but Arsenal are hoping to secure a deal at a lower price for a player who has two years remaining on his contract.

Timber is a Dutch international who has previously attracted interest from Manchester United, and Telegraph Sport understands Arsenal are not the only top European club to have expressed interest in signing him this summer.

A key part of Arsenal’s squad-planning for this window has been to add a player who can play as an inverted right-back, in a similar way to Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left flank.

Timber, who is known for his composure in possession, can also play as a centre-back and is regarded as having a superb passing range.

At the end of the 2022/23 season, with Zinchenko injured, Arteta experimented with an inverted right-back by playing Thomas Partey in that position.

The tactical move had mixed results, as Arsenal were defeated at Nottingham Forest with Partey in that position before they then thrashed Wolves 5-0 on the final day of the campaign.

With Partey predominantly a midfielder, and with his future in north London in doubt, the signing of Timber — if a deal can be agreed with Ajax — would provide Arteta with a more natural option for that right-back position, in the event of Ben White being moved to centre-back.

The attempt to sign Timber is also a result of Arsenal’s need to add more defensive options this summer, after their title charge deteriorated following injuries to key centre-back William Saliba and full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu in March.

Timber would compete with Saliba and White for a place in the starting lineup and his signing would also allow for more rotation as Arsenal prepare for the demands of playing in the Champions League next season.

Meanwhile, Arsenal remain in negotiations with West Ham United over Declan Rice and Chelsea over Kai Havertz. It is understood the Havertz deal is progressing quickly, with Chelsea willing to sell the player for the right price.

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