Louis van Gaal was the main reason behind Jurrien Timber's move to Manchester United breaking down, according to reports.
Erik ten Hag wanted to bring the defender with him to Old Trafford. He gave Timber his debut at 18-years-old in 2020 and introduced him as a regular at Ajax ever since.
After moving to United, Ten Hag pushed for United to move for player, who can play in the middle of the defence or as a right-back, to strengthen a United defence that conceded more goals last season than the side have in any campaign in Premier League history.
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Following on from a 43 appearance season with the Dutch champions, the 21-year-old looks likely to play a major part for Van Gaal's Netherlands team in the World Cup this winter.
Timber could've certainly improved United's situation at the back, with him being a comfortable ball-playing defender who can play in Ten Hag's chosen style of play.
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The player was ready to move across to Manchester with his former manager, and his agent had good talks with the club, according to Dutch football specialist, Marcel van der Kraan.
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However, following conversations with his national team manager, Louis van Gaal, Timber has decided to stay at Ajax, with a move to United this summer 'absolutely dead in the water'.
The former United boss told his defender that he would not be able to guarantee Timber's spot in the World Cup squad if he did not regularly play for United if he moved.
That would give the player a minuscule amount of time to bed-in at United in the Premier League.
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Despite the fact that he would've been working under the manager who gave him his shot in the Netherlands, Timber would've been looking at past experiences of Donny van de Beek following his move from Amsterdam to Manchester.
The Dutch midfielder has started just four Premier League fixtures for the Red Devils since he joined the club during the summer of 2020.
He was forced to move on loan to Everton to seek more regular game-time in January, and has since slipped away from the national team side.
While Timber will have trust in Ten Hag, he will also want to ensure that he is regularly playing to ensure his World Cup status, and a Premier League move will almost certainly need some getting used to for the young defender.
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With the move to Ten Hag's team breaking down, Timber's agent has since been in contact with Ajax over a new contract.
His current deal with the club runs out in the summer of 2024.
United will likely look to move for another defender to strengthen their backline, but only after they secure a deal for Frenkie de Jong, who is Ten Hag's main target.
The midfielder looks like he will be key to how the manager wants to set his team up, with current midfield options leaving much to be desired.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Louis Van Gaal, Erik Ten Hag, Transfers, Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Football, Netherlands, Ajax