Ajax star Jurrien Timber has confirmed he is destined to leave the club this summer amid continued interest from Manchester United and Liverpool.
The Holland international appeared likely to follow his former manager Erik ten Hag and ex-teammate Lisandro Martinez to Old Trafford last year but was persuaded to remain for a further 12 months.
United are likely to accelerate their rebuilding project when the transfer window opens in June and central defensive reinforcements will be high on Ten Hag's wishlist.
Club captain Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, as well as the exiled Phil Jones, are all near certain to leave and although Luke Shaw has impressed as an auxiliary centre-half, the England left-back represents the only top class alternative to Martinez and Raphael Varane, both of whom suffered serious injuries against Sevilla earlier this month.
Liverpool, meanwhile, also harbour an interest in the 21-year-old whose partner added to the speculation that he might be Merseyside-bound during the close season after she was spotted house hunting in the area recently.
The Dutch enclave is growing at Anfield with Virgil van Dijk playing an influential role in Cody Gakpo's decision to turn down a move to United in January and sign for Jurgen Klopp's Reds instead.
Wherever his next destination might be, it appears inevitable that Timber will move to an elite European league in the next few months now he has fulfilled his obligations to Ajax.
He told De Telegraaf: 'A transfer is getting closer and closer, so to speak. There is a lot of concrete interest and I have made agreements with Ajax.
'Last year Ajax asked me to stay for at least one more season and to extend my contract. As a club boy I did that with love and after the season we will review the situation.'
He added: 'At the Dutch national team, I often talk to boys who play football abroad. I want to take that step someday. But when that is, you will eventually hear and it will happen in consultation with Ajax.
'I'm still here anyway and I'm in no hurry. The focus is now on the cup final and the remainder of the competition.'
Ajax, meanwhile, are currently in a state of flux with a season of strife hitting another low last week when they were hammered by rivals Feyenoord 3-0.
'I think we just weren't ready today,' Timber told ESPN. 'Very annoying. Painful, annoying, you put it well. You can talk a lot, but in the end you have to show it on the pitch. We didn't do that.
'I think everyone takes a good look at themselves. You try to cheer each other up, but that is sometimes frustrating, yes. You try to address boys and keep their spirits up.'
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