Arsenal are edging closer towards completing a deal for Ajax star Jurriën Timber in this window.
However, Algemeen Dagblad state Ajax sporting director Sven Mislintat is not finding it easy to secure a successor for the 22-year-old.
Timber’s impending move to Arsenal and Ajax’s lack of success in creating a competitive squad so far has clearly not pleased their captain, Dušan Tadić.
The 34-year-old Serbian has cited ‘private reasons’ for not returning to pre-season training so far. He and his agent have already held talks with Mislintat but the details are ‘labelled as private’ by Ajax.
AD suggest Tadić hasn’t returned to training because he’s unhappy with the Eredivisie side’s failure to sign replacements, especially in defence, which has seen a lot of changes and will see more changes soon.
In the last year, Ajax have seen Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martínez and Daley Blind leave the club. Timber will soon follow the trio as AD say he will be ‘presented at Arsenal at the weekend’.
Tadić had hoped the Netherlands international would stay.
Even before Timber decided to leave Ajax, the newspaper states the options in the centre-back position were limited. The need to bring in a replacement for the Dutchman is made more difficult due to their failure to qualify for the Champions League and lack of funds.
There’s clearly trouble at Ajax, and AD say Mislintat is aiming to raise further funds by selling Edson Álvarez and Mohamed Kudus in this window.
