Because the worldwide break brings home soccer to a standstill for the final time in 2023, Arsenal have the possibility to revise their squad choices in preparation for the rest of the 2023/24 marketing campaign.
With it being 12 video games into the Premier League season, Mikel Arteta’s facet have proven a constructive indication that they might fulfil one other title cost, nevertheless harm woes of late have left the squad wanting low on assets.
In the summertime, 4 new faces arrived in north London within the bid to bolster the supervisor’s choices for choice, after the shortage of depth turned a burden in direction of the tip of the 2022/23 calendar, seeing Arsenal spend over £200m within the switch market.
One other profitable buying spree will not be financially possible, though additional additions are wanted when contemplating how low Arteta’s squad at present is on high quality outdoors of the favoured XI.
One enhance is that summer season signing Jurrien Timber is about to return from harm throughout the first few months of 2024, with the Dutchman’s return set to really feel like a brand new signing for the Gunners, who solely acquired to get pleasure from 126 aggressive minutes of their new arrival.
Jurrien Timber’s harm
In July, Arsenal confirmed the signing of the highly-rated Ajax defender, who arrived on the Emirates for a charge of £38m to bolster Arteta’s again line.
Signing the 22-year-old was an essential seize for the north Londoners, who have been looking added versatility to the defence after benefitting from the positional successes of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White in the course of the 2022/23 marketing campaign.
In Timber, the supervisor wasn’t simply getting a brand new centre-back, the place he predominantly assumed in Amsterdam, however a extremely versatile participant with the power to play on both flank within the again 4, in addition to being geared up to play within the favoured inverted position.
The 2001-born jewel appeared to slot in properly to Arteta’s calls for, taking part in fluidly in pre-season in addition to shining within the Neighborhood Protect match-up in opposition to Manchester Metropolis at Wembley previous to the Premier League commencing – having fun with a ‘good full debut’, within the phrases of the Customary’s Dom Smith.
Deployed at left-back, it regarded as if Arsenal had discovered the right mixture of Kieran Tierney’s defensive know-how and Zinchenko’s progressive experience in Timber, nevertheless, the grins surrounding his arrival have been short-lived on the opening day of the Premier League season.
50 minutes into the Gunners’ conflict with Nottingham Forest on the Emirates in August, the Netherlands worldwide was pressured to withdraw on account of a knee harm, which was later revealed to be an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
It was suspected that the £38m acquisition could be out of motion for round seven months, leaving Arteta again to squad one along with his defensive choices and with out the standard that Timber had showcased within the opening moments of his profession at Arsenal.
In October, journalist Chris Wheatley relayed that January may very well be a doable time for the Dutchman to ease into his return, with the information that an harm as advanced as an ACL rupture have to be given the utmost time to get better, as per NowArsenal.
It was an agonising blow for the participant simply because it was for the Premier League outfit who had misplaced their new signing so early into the marketing campaign, nevertheless his return might come at an ideal time for Arteta.
How Jurrien Timber might match into Arsenal’s workforce
Previous to his harm, the boss highlighted that Timber’s pre-season performances confirmed that he’s a “actually versatile participant”, including that the 22-year-old can be utilized “in numerous positions” on account of his huge vary of means.
As talked about, the 5 foot 10 dynamo occupied the centre-back position for Ajax, and started life in north London as a full-back, with Arteta lauding the defender’s “capability to invert and occupy totally different areas”.
What’s fascinating concerning the Utrecht-born star’s means is that his return might have the potential to even bolster Arsenal’s midfield, an space of the pitch that has been starved of high quality on account of harm and lack of kind up to now in 2023/24.
As highlighted by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Timber’s attributes noticed him endeavour in cameos in defensive midfield beneath Erik ten Hag at Ajax, opening a door to the likelihood that he might return to such place in the course of the Gunners’ time of want.
Mango dubbed the defender as a “easy operator” for his method to play in his homeland, additionally lauding him as one of many “most clever defenders within the sport”, along with his means to cross by means of the strains making him a harmful outlet from the again.
When learning the two-time Eredivisie winners’ statistics from the 2022/23 Eredivisie marketing campaign, it’s fascinating to notice that FBref listed Edson Alvarez as some of the statistically comparable centre-backs to Timber that season.
Alvarez equally made the transfer to the Premier League in the summertime, signing for West Ham United the place he has since prevailed as a stellar defensive midfielder for David Moyes’ facet, suggesting that his former teammate might do the identical in England.
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Timber 22/23 vs Rice, Xhaka, Partey in 22/23 Premier League per 90 stats |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Statistic |
Jurrien Timber |
Declan Rice |
Granit Xhaka |
Thomas Partey |
|
Move completion % |
91.6% |
86.5% |
84.7% |
87.2% |
|
Progressive passes |
8.62 |
6.60 |
5.89 |
8.37 |
|
Progressive carries |
2.38 |
2.42 |
1.26 |
1.23 |
|
Tackles |
1.40 |
2.17 |
1.02 |
2.54 |
|
Interceptions |
1.25 |
1.73 |
0.45 |
1.01 |
|
Remaining third passes |
9.78 |
6.41 |
4.45 |
8.37 |
|
Touches |
90.62 |
68.06 |
56.86 |
82.17 |
|
Figures by way of FBref |
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As portrayed within the desk above, the 22-year-old’s 2022/23 statistics assist claims that he may very well be a useful asset within the deeper areas of midfield for Arteta, when evaluating his league stats to these of Arsenal’s defensive midfielders previous and current, final season.
Timber’s means and expertise in taking part in the inverted position provides him a novel perception into taking part in in central areas extra superior than the again line, handing the supervisor another choice within the engine room because the Gunners’ choices proceed to run weak.
Not solely might the £38m seize’s return bolster the standard within the squad, however might additionally save the north Londoners tens of millions by exploiting his assets in midfield, relatively than spending huge on reinforcements in such space.
Whereas the date of Timber’s return stays unsure, his return to the squad shall be properly celebrated by these on the Emirates, with a second shot to get pleasure from their summer season signing when the 2023/24 marketing campaign heats up.