Report: Arsenal signing £50m star now highly likely; Arteta thinks he could be a right-sided Zinchenko

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Arsenal signing Jurrien Timber is now highly likely, with the Gunners apparently viewing the Ajax star as a right-sided version of Oleksandr Zinchenko.

That is according to a report from 90min, which suggests that Mikel Arteta’s men will continue to hold talks with the Eredivisie side about a potential move for the 22-year-old.

Arsenal making a move for Jurrien Timber appears to have escalated very quickly. The Athletic reported on Monday night that the Gunners had made a £30 million bid for the youngster.

Arsenal see Timber as right-sided version of Zinchenko

Ajax want £50 million for Timber. But it would appear that the player himself is ready to go. According to De Telegraaf in the Netherlands, Timber is ready to agree a long-term deal with Arsenal if the two sides can agree a fee.

90min reports that an agreement between Arsenal and Ajax is deemed to be highly likely by those close to the situation.

And intriguingly, the report adds that Arteta views Timber as someone who can play a similar role to Zinchenko. Timber has the ability to play at right-back or centre-back. But he is also comfortable driving forward into midfield.

Zinchenko had a mixed first season at Arsenal. He struggled with a couple of injuries. And there were a handful of mistakes which highlighted that Kieran Tierney is probably the better defender of the two.

However, the Ukrainian’s arrival was a game-changer. His presence in the team allowed Arteta to almost transform how Arsenal played. And it nearly led to a Premier League title win.

So if they are able to do similar on the other side of the pitch, that could be particularly exciting. It would give Arsenal so much more versatility in how they progress the ball out from the back.

There is still work to be done. But all the signs certainly seem to be positive.