Why Arsenal’s Timber could be the pick of all transfers

Declan Rice will make a big difference to Arsenal’s bid to win the title next season. However, we must not underestimate just how good Julien Timber is.

The defender switched from Ajax to the Gunners for £38.5 million, which is a very good piece of business for Arsenal. He could make the biggest impact of the three new mark signings.

The 22-year-old Netherlands’ international will provide competition for established right-back Ben White. Mikel Arteta’s plan is for Timber to play out from right back and tuck into the middle in much the same way Oleksandr Zinchenko does from the left.

Without the injured Zinchenko last season, the Gunners lost some of their thrusting power and Timber could even cover for the Ukrainian.

His other strength is playing centre-back where he has made a reputation for himself at Ajax.

United coach Erik Ten Hag managed Ajax and gave Timber his debut at 18 years in Holland and is very positive about his strengths and he tried but failed to take him to Old Trafford.

Timber has great composure on the ball, never panics and plays the ball smoothly and thoughtfully. He is exactly the type of player Arsenal have focused on bringing into the Emirates Stadium: young, versatile and approaching peak performing years.

In the 2021/22 season, Julien was never cautioned by a referee. Dutch teammate Virgil van Dijk was most complimentary and said, “I wasn’t nearly as far along as he is now (at the same age) and I have nothing but praise for him. He is a great player and a true professional. He has so much potential”

Guardiola’s team will be very different next season

Manchester City players arrived back at Maine Road last Monday to begin planning their defence of that amazing treble. Mateo Kovacic joined his teammates for the first time.

Pep Guardiola knows that certain players still have uncertain futures at the club with both last season’s fringe players Kalvin Phillips and Sergio Gomez saying they want more game time in 2023/24.

Pre-season is probably more important to City players than any other club as it is an opportunity to impress on the manager that they should be included in his first-team plans.

Guardiola often points out that Rico Lewis was not his first choice for full-back at the beginning of last season but pre-season training changed his plans.

On the agenda is selecting a new club captain now that Ilkay Gundogan has left to join Barcelona.

Kyle Walker is another possibility to leave as Bayern Munich and Juventus are showing interest in signing him which means two starting places would have to be filled.

Having spoken to various sources in Manchester it is obvious that the two outstanding candidates for the captaincy are Kevin De Bruyne and Ruben Dias.

I checked on De Bruyne this week and his hamstring injury will probably keep him out of the pre-season warm-up.

*Riyad Mahrez was feeling very unloved by Pep Guardiola and decided to leave when Saudi team Al-Ahli put a £ 30 million offer in place for his services. Guardiola wanted Mahrez to stay but didn’t use him as a starter at the end of last season in most of the important games including the FA Cup Final and Champions League final and the Algerian was not happy. He will see his salary go sky-high to around £450k if he moves to the Middle East.

Disappointment for Klopp as Chelsea hang on to Colwill

I went behind the scenes at Liverpool this week to sort out how Jurgen Klopp’s summer plans are progressing.

Klopp is playing things casual but some recent problems have arisen. Joel Matip is joining the injured list which includes Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

Klopp is always reminded of the 20/21 season injuries and how academy graduates Phillips and Rhys Williams were given unexpected game time to finish the season.

Last season the team leaked 47 Premier League goals which is the most under Klopp’s reign. In 52 games Liverpool let in at least three goals in 11 of those games which is the first time it has happened in nearly 60 years!

Van Dijk’s partnership with Konate was however successful, winning 11 games and will likely be the Red’s pairing for the coming season.

Van Dijk and Gomez won seven games and lost five and Van Dijk and Matip ten games winning six.

Williams is now on loan at Aberdeen and Phillips is expected to leave. This all asks the question..who is Jurgen Klopp’s ideal signing to partner Van Dijk and the answer was Chelsea’s Levi Colwill.

The 20-year-old impressed Brighton whilst on loan last season and recently starred in the England Under-21 victory in the Uefa Championships.

At 20-years-of-age Colwill is a left-sided defender and would have fitted in perfectly with Klopp’s defensive plans and the coach was very disappointed that he could not achieve his plan.

Fofana news is not good at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino has pledged his complete support for Wesley Fofana as he recovers from injury.

The news from Stamford Bridge is not good I am afraid. The French international has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and underwent surgery on Tuesday. I am told it is unlikely he will play again in 2023 following his £ 70 million move from Leicester.

Wesley was left out of the travelling tour squad which is playing in America. Reece James is another notable absentee because he missed the flight because of feeling unwell.

Pochettino said of Fofana, “Really sad, really bad news. We need to help him and get him back to the team but we know it is tough.”

Trevor Chalobah was possibly to be sold this summer however with Fofana’s injury it looks as though the club will put that on hold.

Brighton have rejected a £70million offer from the Blues for midfielder Moises Caicedo and Chelsea also find themselves fighting off interest in midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Both Tottenham and West Ham have funds available and are trying to negotiate a deal however having lost Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Chelsea are looking thin in the centre.

Harvey Barnes swap for Saudi-bound Saint-Maximin

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has revealed that Allan Saint-Maximin did not originally ask to leave and both would have liked the exciting and explosive winger to stay at St James Park.

Once again it is the Saudi Pro League which is turning another player’s head with the promise of a big pay rise.

Howe and Saint-Maximin had a very emotional discussion earlier this week and interestingly the 26-year-old did not board the plane to Atlanta in the US for the club’s pre-season tour.

He did not travel to Glasgow for a friendly against Rangers on Tuesday night. Talks are going on with Saudi club Al Ahli and I have heard that Italian club Napoli are also monitoring the situation.

Eddie Howe will bring in Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes to cover the gap left by Saint-Maximin. The clubs are negotiating to transfer Harvey for £ 35 million.

He is a skilful player, tricky and full of energy just like Saint-Maximin and last season he scored 13 Premier League goals.

Howe has already welcomed AC Milan’s midfielder Sandro Tonali for £55 million. Out of favour Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney is another player Howe would like to bring in but they are in a battle with Brendan Rodgers’ new team Celtic.

Hammers finding it difficult to import players

Following Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal, West Ham have £105 million burning a hole in their pockets and they are desperate to spend some of the cash. But things are not going to plan.

Offers for Fulham midfielder Palhinha and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse have both been rejected.

The Hammers thought £45million for Palhinha was a fair price and they were also told no by Manchester United when they tried to take Harry Maguire on loan despite the ex-captain being told by Erik Ten-Hag that he is no longer in his first-team plans.

Fulham want to keep Willian

Nottingham Forest wanted Willian to sign for them and offered to pay big bucks.

Willian was a free agent as his Fulham contract expired two weeks ago. Originally he rejected a one-year extension but reluctantly finally accepted it so he could stay in London at Craven Cottage.

Forest made the Brazilian two offers, one of which included the chance to finish his career playing for the Greek team Olympiacos, owned by Forest’s Evangelos Marinakis.

However, I can tell you from inside Craven Cottage that Willian always wanted to stay in London despite taking a medical at Forest.

*Fulham have rejected a bid of £25million from Saudi club Al-Hilal for striker Aleksandar

Mitrovic. He has expressed a desire to play in Saudi Arabia for a big payday but Fulham hope to persuade him to stay and he flew to the US for a pre-season tour beginning in Philadelphia.

Luton break transfer record with new signing

Newly promoted Luton Town are breaking their own transfer record by bringing in Birmingham winger Tahith Chong.

He had a medical this week and all was good and the 23-year-old ex-Manchester United Dutchman has the approval of his club Birmingham to move.

Ever Young joins Everton

The problem with Everton is that Sean Dyche inherited a bloated squad with many players not good enough for the Premier League.

The summer transfer market is vital to the Blues' survival at the highest level next season. However, the club has huge debts and money is not readily available. Dyche has drawn up a master plan which is simply loaning players and taking free agents who are out of contract.

One gem they have already picked up is Ashley Young. The 38-year-old re-joined Aston Villa from Inter Milan on a one-year deal which was extended to two but he is now free and heading north. Dyche is also concentrating on taking Anthony Elanga from Old Trafford to Merseyside.

Manchester United would prefer a loan deal but if the 21-year-old is sold, a fee of around £ 10 million is being talked about. Elanga has made no secret of his frustration over making very few starts last season and a second bout of talks have not resulted in any guarantees being given for his future.

He said, “It is frustrating. You want to play. It is important. But if you don’t play, it’s not up to me but to the coach.” Everton could be the way out for Elanga.