However, before the club settled on signing Timber in 2023, they were supposedly keen on another Dutch defender, someone who went on to play for Spurs.

Arsenal’s interest in Micky van de Ven

Yes, it might surprise some, but in early 2023, Arsenal were supposedly keen on then-Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven.

In fact, according to a report from German journalist Christian Falk in March of last year, the Gunners were one of many clubs scouting the Dutchman, alongside Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Roma.

However, as we all know, the Wormer-born “freak”, as podcaster Michael Caley dubbed him for his outlandish pace, went on to join the other team in North London for around £43m: Spurs.Under Arsène Wenger’s leadership, Arsenal—once renowned for being frugal and not going over budget—has recently been much more lenient with their spending.

However, the Gunners have changed from a squad vying for seventh place to one in their third Premier League title chase in as many years, while teams like Manchester United and Chelsea have seen their massive spending sprees amount to nothing.

Furthermore, despite spending less than £100 million this summer—a significant decrease from last summer—the North Londoners are still not quite as eager to spend money as some of their closest rivals.

Prior to settling on the Ajax star, Arsenal apparently had their eye on another defender who would later join Tottenham Hotspur. In 2023, they made a big push to sign a number of elite players, including Jurrien Timber.

For the first time in club history, Arsenal spent more than £200 million on signings last summer, with £105 million of that amount going to the acquisition of Declan Rice, the captain of West Ham United.

The 25-year-old Englishman is by far the Gunners’ most expensive transfer, but he hasn’t let that stop him. In the year and a half since joining the team, he has made 63 appearances in all competitions, scored eight goals, provided twelve assists, and made it into the PFA Team of the Year.

Kai Havertz, the second-most costly recruit last summer, cost over £65 million. Despite his early struggles, he has already established himself as a vital member of Arteta’s squad.

For example, while he’s scored just six goals and provided no assists in 33 midfield appearances, the German has been incredibly effective up top, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists in 29 games, equating to a goal involvement every 1.38 games.

Lastly, Timber joined Arteta’s North London title chasers from Ajax for around £38m following a brilliant campaign with the Amsterdam club in which he made 47 appearances, scored two goals and provided two assists.

Timber, Jurrien, and Arsenal
But after a strong preseason, the defender from Utrecht injured his ACL in the season’s first game against Nottingham Forest and wouldn’t play again until the season’s last game against Everton.

Thankfully, despite a few small setbacks this season, the “elite” international—as pundit Ben Mattinson has called him—has managed to stay reasonably fit and has demonstrated to the supporters his versatility across the backline in his 10 appearances thus far.

The 23-year-old has since made a name for himself as the team’s most important defender.

Last season, Ange Postecoglou broke the Premier League sprint record thanks to his incredible speed, which has allowed him to continue his aggressive high-line.

However, the “dominant” centre-back, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has one significant issue that could hamper his career in the long term: injuries.

Since the start of the 21/22 season, the ten-capped international has injured his hamstring on four occasions – including against Manchester City this week – and while that could be chalked up to bad luck, it does seem like his explosive pace makes him susceptible to such issues.

In the end, Van de Ven is an unquestionably gifted player whose distinct skill set would have likely contributed to Arsenal’s increased strength. However, given Timber’s impressive performance for the Gunners and his compatriot’s concerning hamstring issue, Arteta most likely signed the right Dutchman in 2023.