A “small contract issue” has held up the announcement confirming Jurrien Timber’s move to Arsenal, according to Football.London reporter Kaya Kaynak.

Although the transfer is still set to be rubberstamped, with a photo showing the Dutchman in a Gunners kit having already leaked out online, it is believed there will be a slight delay in the switch being made official.

It is hoped that things will be sorted out by Friday, with the plan being that both Timber and fellow new signing Declan Rice will be on the plane when Mikel Arteta’s side fly out for the pre-season tour of the United States on Sunday.

Paperwork being what it is, though, there are no guarantees that the two deals will be finalised in time, with just a few days left before the tour is scheduled to begin.

How much will Arsenal be paying for Timber?

It has been reported that the Gunners will pay an initial £38.5m to sign the Netherlands international, with additional bonuses based on future performances.

At one point, it was reported that Ajax would hold out for as much as €60m (£51m) to sell Timber but, after Arsenal’s first bid of around €35m (£30m) was rejected, the two sides managed to reach an agreement on the final price pretty quickly.

Considering some of the alternatives that were looked at, such as Joao Cancelo (£60m) who could have cost a lot more, Arteta will be pleased to secure the services of a very talented young player.

How will the defender be deployed?

From what has been reported, it seems as if Arteta wants to use Timber in an inverted fullback role on the right-hand side; in a similar way to how Oleksandr Zinchenko is used on the left flank.

The 22-year-old has played in midfield previously so he does look to be a good fit for the position, as he is decent in possession, but it should be noted that he played the entirety of last season as a centre-half for Ajax. For that reason, a period of adaptation may be required.

Taking into account that Timber will also have to step up his game for the Premier League, the defender could need quite a lot of time to adapt to his new surroundings. He is clearly someone who possesses the ability to succeed in English football, though, and most feel he will rise to the challenge.