Has Arsenal’s Next Big Signing Been Unveiled Online By Accident?

If a leaked image on the Arsenal website is enough proof then it would appear that Jurrien Timber is very close to being announced as a Gunner.

The news was announced by top sports journalist Chris Wheatley on Gooner News this Wednesday, July 12. He pointed his readers to a tweet from the very alert Met @AFCMet, who somehow spotted Timber’s squad photo hidden behind the club’s website coding.

Met’s post read: ‘It looks like the Timber announcement is imminent. Thanks to @MaxTheLantern for pointing it out. https://cdn.media.amplience.net/i/ArsenalDirect/Timber_Landscape_2023?$desktopCategoryBanner$&fmt=webp… The coding is there for the website, if you change Timber’s name to anyone else it comes up with their image’.

It looks like the Timber announcement is imminent.

Thanks to @MaxTheLantern for pointing it out.https://t.co/LPF2P3QB4F

The coding is there for the website, if you change Timber's name to anyone else it comes up with their image. pic.twitter.com/vNaAu75feG

— Met. (@AFCMet) July 12, 2023

The Ajax defender has been expected to arrive at the Emirates Stadium but this latest news could be exactly what Gunners fans were hoping for.

Timber’s addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad can only be another massive step to clinching that Premier League title that was almost within his grasp last season.

Declan Rice is due to be unveiled as an Arsenal player in the coming days. The West Ham captain is expected to make the switch across London for a fee thought to be in the region of £105 million.

Should the Dutchman also join the squad then it will push Arsenal’s summer spending spree over the £200 million mark with a fee of £38.5 million plus bonuses believed to be involved.

Arsenal were in Germany for their first pre-season friendly

The Gunners kicked off their series of pre-season friendlies with a match against German side FC Nurnberg last night, Thursday 12 in the Max-Morlock-Stadion.

A 1-1 draw was the final result, with new signing Kai Havertz making his first appearance in the famous red and white shirt. The former Chelsea star lined up alongside Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho.

Bukayo Saka was on target after only seven minutes, steering the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

Leading at the break 💪

More of the same in the second half, Gunners 👊

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 13, 2023

If Arteta thought that his men would have an easy outing against the Bundesliga second division club he was in for a shock. The Germans pulled level in the 78th minute and that was how it stayed.

Despite friendlies being designed to help the coach see how his players will blend together ready for the new season, he would probably still have preferred to leave with a win under his belt.

Speaking to reporters after the match, he said of the game: ‘The way we played in the first half was really good and I think we could have scored more goals, even in the second half we had two big, big chances to score and we didn’t. It’s part of football, and mistakes are part of the sport’, as reported by Arsenal.com.

On the subject of more arrivals, Arteta gave nothing away: ‘At the moment we are working with the group of players that is here. We have nothing to announce yet, and when it is done you will be the first to know’.