Ajax defender Jurrien Timber has denied suggestions that he was discouraged from joining Manchester United by Louis van Gaal.
The versatile Dutchman was linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer following the appointment of former Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag.
However, 21-year-old Timber elected to stay put in Amsterdam, signing a new contract that could keep him at Ajax until 2025. But he has refuted claims that he was warned off a move to Manchester United by Van Gaal, who hasn’t been kind about the club since he was sacked in 2016 and is currently remains in charge of the Netherlands national team after beating prostate cancer.
In reality, Timber claims Van Gaal suggested it might actually be a good move for him.
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“Many things that are written in the media are false. Like when people say that it was Louis van Gaal who told me not to go to Manchester United. He actually said I would make minutes there,” he told Dutch news outlet AD.
Ten Hag swooped quickly to rekindle his relationship with Lisandro Martinez upon taking over at Old Trafford, with the Argentine arriving for a fee in excess of £50m.
Brazilian winger Antony also joined from Ajax on a five-year deal after a summer of speculation, while Tyrell Malacia arrived from fellow Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord.
However, the Red Devils were unsuccessful in their pursuit of PSV wide man Cody Gakpo, who revealed that he had sought advice from Van Gaal about the potential impact of a move to United on his national team hopes.
“I asked the national coach [Louis van Gaal] for advice,” said the 23-year-old. “He thought I should follow my gut feeling, but also said that a transfer in a World Cup year would not really be ideal, also because of adjustment. I agreed with him.”
