Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has opened up in his decision to join Mikel Arteta's men this summer, turning down interest from a number of other clubs
Jurrien Timber has explained why he rejected other interested clubs in favour of completing a summer transfer to Arsenal.
The Dutch international joined Mikel Arteta's side from Ajax last week in a deal worth an initial £34.2million. But the Gunners were far from the only club pursuing a move for the 22-year-old, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich both heavily linked over the last 12 months.
Now, Timber has opened up on his decision, admitting that whilst he had other options, Arsenal were the clear favourite. “To be honest, I had some options but Arsenal was the only one I chose," he told The Mirror when asked about the deal.
"It is a beautiful club. Look at last year.
"Of course, the previous years were beautiful but last year you saw a major step. The team grows and I want to be a part of it.
“Sometimes it is just a feeling. The way they play, the way I talk with the trainer. I just had a good feeling with it.
“We have a strong team. Expectations are high because they had a great season last season and they bought some players. Let’s see what we can do.”
Timber enjoyed a solid World Cup campaign in Qatar last year, something that he has admitted helped build his confidence. He added: “You can already see how you will play against the bigger teams and bigger opponents. I did well.
"But the World Cup was definitely a nice tournament for me so I got confidence from that. We are a good team.
"It was sad how it ended last season but we have a strong squad. It’s crazy, I’ve played more Champions League games than some of my teammates but these guys have Premier League experience and that is on a different level.”
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