La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing 21-year-old Dutch defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Jurrien Timber has popped up on the radar of Real Madrid. The 21-year-old defender is currently at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the Netherlands. And the Merengues view him as a potential long-term central defensive solution.
Jurrien Timber spent his formative years at three Dutch clubs before graduating from the famed Ajax academy. The youngster has been with Ajax since 2014, and he has been a regular for the first team for a couple of years. At the same time, he has been featuring on and off for the Netherlands in the past year.
The 21-year-old has turned out nearly 100 times thus far for Ajax, chipping in with four goals and four assists. And Timber is currently in Qatar to represent the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At the same time, his progress has not gone unnoticed, with Real Madrid monitoring him for some time.
Real Madrid might lose Nacho in the summer transfer window. With the veteran defender in the final few months of his deal, the reigning La Liga champions need to settle his contract situation quickly. But the Spaniard has yet to commit his future to Real Madrid and might leave as a free agent next summer.
In addition, David Alaba is on the wrong side of 30, while Antonio Rudiger will turn 30 before the season ends. So the Merengues want to secure the long-term future of the central defensive unit by signing Timber. But the Dutch defender might not be the only centre-back on Real Madrid’s radar.
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has also emerged as a target for Real Madrid. In addition, the Spanish champions have set their sights on Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni. So Timber is among the top target for Real Madrid heading into the 2023 summer transfer window.
It will be interesting to see if the 21-year-old defender jumps to the top of the priority list next summer. For now, Timber will be focused on getting the Netherlands to the summit of international football by winning the World Cup.
