After signing Jurrien Timber from Ajax in a deal worth £38 million earlier this summer, Mikel Arteta would have been hoping the Dutch defender could become an important first-team player.
Disaster struck on the Premier League’s opening weekend though. The former Ajax man picked up an untimely and unfortunate ACL injury against Nottingham Forest on his competitive debut just over a week ago.
Now ruled out for several months, the Gunners, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, are considering making another signing to provide cover for the sidelined Timber.
Unlikely to splash the cash following a transfer window that has already seen the London-based club spend over £200 million (TM), including a club-record £105 million on Declan Rice, Arteta is primed to consider Championship players as he seeks to make a smart and ‘shrewd’ signing.
And according to Jacobs, two players under consideration are Leicester City’s Timothy Castagne and 26-year-old Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters.
“I think Arsenal will be looking to be quite shrewd in the market at this point,” Jacobs told GiveMeSport.
” The type of player, should they move, might actually be less showy or expensive and more just the right fit at the right time.
“Perhaps that’s where a Kyle Walker-Peters comes in. They’ve obviously been linked earlier in the window with Timothy Castagne at Leicester.
“These type of players tend to wow the fanbase less, but might be the right type of profile for Arsenal to make sure that they’ve got cover and depth, but also to ensure that the original plan – which was obviously bringing in Timber – still stays in place when he returns and is fit.”
Which full-back do you think Arsenal should sign following Timber’s injury? – Let us know in the comments below.