Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his excitement about the return of Jurrien Timber. The Dutch defender joined the club last summer but suffered a season-ending injury on his Premier League debut.
Speaking to the media in Los Angeles ahead of the team’s US tour, Arteta praised Timber’s mentality and leadership qualities.
“He is a leader. He loves to be on show and a big presence in everything that we do. He is very vocal and extremely gifted technically. He is a great addition to the team,” Arteta said.
Arteta also highlighted Timber’s willingness to work hard, saying: “He is so willing, you can see that in his body language and the way he acts. He has worked so hard, I think he is in a really good place at the moment.”
Regarding his expectations for Timber, Arteta said: “We are going to have to manage him now in the next few weeks, especially because the load he has been able to do in the last few months compared to the next two weeks is very different, but we are very excited.”
Regarding transfer updates, Arteta remained tight-lipped. “No, unfortunately not,” he said when asked about new signings.
However, he acknowledged the need to strengthen the squad. “We know there are certain positions that we want to improve and give the squad better resources, especially in terms of numbers where we are very short.”
Arteta emphasized the importance of focusing on the current players.
“We will try our best, but the main thing is to focus on falling in love with the players we have and make them better.” He stated.
With Arsenal facing Bournemouth, Manchester United, and Liverpool in the US, Arteta is looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“They’re really good because we’re going to play on three different surfaces, three different stadiums, and different weather conditions. The travelling is different and different opposition, so great it’s preparation for us.”
Story by: Michael Seh
