Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber will not be at the north London derby on Sunday as he will skip the visit of Tottenham Hotspur to return to Ajax as they face rivals Feyenoord.
The 22-year-old left Ajax for Arsenal in July as boss Mikel Arteta spent an initial £34m, plus £4.5m in add-ons. His transfer to Emirates Stadium brought the curtain down on a nine-year career in Amsterdam. Timber first joined De Godenzonen as a youth prospect back in 2014.
He left the academy fold at Ajax’s biggest rivals, Feyenoord, to join the Johan Cruyff Arena natives. Now, he has chosen their derby this Sunday as a chance to return and ‘say goodbye’ to their fans. Timber’s transfer to Arsenal in the summer sales denied him a proper farewell.
Timber to skip the north London derby to return to Ajax
Ajax have announced on X that Timber will be in attendance at the Johan Cruyff Arena when they face Feyenoord. The 22-year-old likely chose De Klassieker as a chance to bid goodbye to De Godenzonen’s fanbase given his past ties to the two teams and the scale of the derby.
Timber played 121 times at Ajax after breaking into the first-team squad during the 2019/20 season. He also won the Eredivisie title twice over his three campaigns as a regular in the XI. The Amsterdam natives secured the crown in 20/21 and 21/22, plus the KNVB Cup in 20/21.
Arteta adored what Timber offered after joining Arsenal
Arsenal were already due to be without Timber against Tottenham this Sunday as the 15-cap Netherlands enforcer continues to recover from ACL surgery. Arteta lost his star signing for most of the season when the defender sustained a knee injury on his Premier League debut.
Timber quickly gained a key role at Emirates Stadium after impressing Arteta with his ability to play in various positions. Despite being a natural centre-back, he featured as a right-back or as a left-back throughout pre-season. His efforts in any role also stood out to Arteta’s joy.
“[Timber is] very versatile,” Arteta told TNT Sports in August. “He has so much courage and I love his personality. The way he’s come, the way he has adapted and glided into the team, just phenomenal.
“He’s done it so quickly. I ask him to play on the right, to play on the left – a very intelligent player. It just comes naturally for him, our way of playing. I’m delighted to have him.”
Timber has made progress in his recovery from ACL surgery and is no longer using crutches. The defender also attended Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Manchester United for his first return to Emirates Stadium since his injury. But he will not make another appearance there this week.
Despite the importance of the north London derby, Timber has chosen not to be at Arsenal’s derby with Tottenham this Sunday. His presence could have offered Arteta’s team a lift like it did against Manchester United. But he will be in the Netherlands saying his goodbye to Ajax.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
