Timber has excelled on the right and left this season (Picture: Getty Images)
Former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz has urged Arsenal star Jurrien Timber not to settle for a utility role at the Emirates, believing he will ultimately suffer for his versatility on the pitch.
Timber’s first season at the Gunners was wrecked by injury but the Netherlands international has enjoyed a superb start to the 2024-25 campaign.
The former Ajax star started four straight games at left-back before switching to the right flank against Manchester City and Leicester, excelling in that role once again in the 2-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
Timber made his name as a centre-half back at Ajax, a position he also took up during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the US.
While he has excelled in every role handed to him by Mikel Arteta so far, former Dutch defender Boulahrouz warns the constant changes will not be good for his career in the long-term.
‘Of course he is coming back from a serious injury. Then you are very humble and happy to be in the starting line-up at such a great club. You enjoy that,’ he told Ziggo Sport.
‘But is it good for the rest of your career? No. Is it good to be versatile? It can be an option every now and then.
Timber started at right-back against PSG (Picture: Getty)
‘If he were to play right back, that is closer to his nature, but left back… No, that is not what you were brought in for. You played centrally and you deserved it.’
While centre-half has been regarded as Timber’s natural position, the Dutchman is up against perhaps the most formidable partnership in European football in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in battling for one of those roles.
Riccardo Calafiori, who like Timber has taken up the left-back role this season, is also adept at playing in the middle.
Another former Netherlands international in Ronald de Boer disagreed with Boulahrouz’s assessment of the situation, insisting Timber is good enough to shift across the backline and maintain his level of performances.
‘They [Arsenal] have the two best central defenders in the world with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães,’ de Boer said.
‘The English league is a bit different than the Dutch one, right? I think he can be very happy that he plays there, as a left-right back or number six. Because this boy can do a lot.’
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