Arsenal are stepping up efforts to tie right-back Jurriën Timber down to a new contract, with the club increasingly confident internally that a deal will be wrapped up before the World Cup kicks off; at the same time, the pace of Ben White’s summer exit is also picking up.
Contract renewal: from “whether to sign” to “when to sign”
According to TEAMtalk reporter Graeme Bailey, the Gunners are “growing increasingly confident” about completing Timber’s renewal, with the target timeframe set for before the World Cup. The report states that talks began before Christmas last year and have continued to progress in recent months; the Netherlands international is expected to receive a significant pay rise in his new deal. The mood within the squad has already shifted from “will he sign?” to “when will it be announced?”
During Timber’s injury lay-off, the strain on Arsenal’s defensive rotation increased sharply, which in turn underlines that he is the key upgrade in Mikel Arteta’s system compared with Ben White. Over the past season, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have all signed new contracts; Timber is next on the list of core players the club want to keep, in line with the approach of “securing the spine first, then moving in the summer window.”
Dual title push and recent Champions League form
This season, Arsenal remain in the hunt for both the Premier League and the Champions League. Recent European results on site show: a 1-1 draw against their opponents on 2026-05-31; a 1-1 draw away on 7 May; and a 5-4 win at home on 29 April — with the toll of competing on multiple fronts, getting Timber’s contract over the line before the World Cup would help stabilise the long-term setup on the right before the summer window opens.
White’s departure and summer-window balance
The report also notes that as Timber moves closer to securing his future, the likelihood of Ben White leaving in a summer transfer is rising, with the club needing to use that to balance the books after heavy spending in recent years. Beyond summer exits, recruitment is also moving forward: sources say Arsenal have received a bid-level offer of around £43.1 million (the specific target was not expanded on in the report), while strengthening out wide remains a potential priority — with rotation needs behind Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, names such as Anthony Gordon, Rodrygo and Nico Williams continue to be linked with the Gunners.
Editor's View
For Arteta, the value of extending Timber's contract is not about "adding one more player" but about locking in right-sided defensive quality and build-up stability as the foundation for the next two or three transfer windows. If White leaves as planned, the right-back setup will shift from "open competition" to "Timber as the first choice plus a lean backup," allowing summer budget to be concentrated more sharply on gaps such as the wings. The risk is that talks dragging into the summer window would coincide with squad volatility during the Champions League and league run-in; the sooner the deal is done, the less contract noise there will be ahead of World Cup preparations.
What to Watch Next
Fans should track three storylines: whether Timber's new deal is announced before the World Cup, as reported; whether Ben White is placed on the sell list; and whether the club brings in ready-made wide reinforcements in the summer as planned. Through the Champions League and league run-in, right-back availability will remain one of the granular measures of whether Arsenal can turn "confidence in renewals" into "genuine, stable title-challenging strength."
