Timber could cut down the need for two players
UNITED might have to learn to compromise in the summer transfer window. Erik ten Hag is looking to overhaul the side but has his hands tied if he is going to address every problem in the squad.
Before he left the club, Ralf Rangnick suggested as many as 10 new players might be needed, though club sources insist the rebuild is not as severe as he suggested.
The truth is United probably need five or six new faces in the off-season to improve their squad while also replacing those who leave this summer.
It will be easier said than done, though.
The Reds have suffered in the past from a one-at-a-time approach and must also overcome their previous hurdle of selling players before they can reinvest funds into their squad.
It means they might well end up with only three or four new faces by the end of the summer, a scenario which would see certain areas of the pitch neglected despite a need for reinvestment.
Therefore, United may look to get creative and, in Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, they have one candidate who could solve both issues in the team.
Ten Hag is understood to have championed the player in recent recruitment meetings and is a huge admirer of his former defender from their time together in Amsterdam.
The 20-year-old is still a raw talent, but one with a bright future and plenty of untapped potential.
He certainly has the right type of character required if United are to be successful in their rebuild, is versatile and could help solve two issues in one if necessary.
In an ideal world, United would sign both a new centre-back and a new right-back this summer, but with the priority of signing at least one midfielder and at least one attacker, two defensive reinforcements might well have to be compromised.
It means they could end the summer with either a central defender or a full-back, rather than the preference for both, though Timber could well be the ideal solution.
The Dutchman operates primarily at centre-back but also has experience playing on the right-hand side of defence under the guidance of Ten Hag. This season he made 38 appearances in the central role and another five out wide, while in total he has made 64 appearances for Ajax at centre-back and 14 at right-back since making his debut against SC Heerenveen in March 2020.
In the long run, Timber will need regular playing time at centre-back in order to fulfil his vast potential, but arriving at Old Trafford as a back-up central defender who can also fill in at full-back could be the ideal way for him to adapt to his new league before being thrown in at the deep end.
United fans might be desperate for new first-teamers this summer, but signing a young, promising player with a bright future like Timber could well be the best decision of them all.
AJAX ACE CAN PLAY AT CENTRE-BACK AND ON THE RIGHT