Premier League giants Manchester United have reportedly lodged a €45 million bid for Ajax winger Antony.
According to journalist Jorge Nicola, Manchester United have submitted an official bid worth €45 million for Ajax winger Antony. The Red Devils are in the market for an attacking player and have been tracking the Brazilian forward ever since Erik ten Hag took over as the club’s new manager.
Manchester United, as per the report, could ‘reach an agreement for Antony’s transfer soon’ with the only roadblock seemingly being Ajax’s reluctance to let the Brazilian attacker go for a cheap fee. Thus, the two sides may take some time before agreeing on terms for the 22-year-old’s summer transfer to Old Trafford.
Antony was one of the shining lights for Ajax under Erik ten Hag. He was signed by the Dutch giants in the 2020 summer window from Sao Paulo for a reported fee of €15 million. He has since become one of the first names on the team sheet and has made a total of 79 appearances for them, scoring 22 and assisting 20 goals.
Both of Antony’s seasons in Ajax have been quite fruitful. The 2020/21 term saw him score ten time and assist as many in 46 matches across competitions. And although he was limited to 33 appearances in the recently-concluded season due to an ankle injury in the latter half of the season, he still scored 12 times and assisted another 10 goals.
Though the 22-year-old still has three years left on his Ajax contract, it is not surprising that Europe’s best are lining up for his signature. Along with Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid have also shown interest in the youngster.
As far as the Red Devils are concerned, they are eager to continue stacking reinforcements this summer. Manchester United are looking at the departures of Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard, which would make way for an attacking signing.
Antony prefers to play on the right wing, and that is where he produced his best for ten Hag’s Ajax. Manchester United are expected to have Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga in their attacking line going into the next season, so adding depth with a promising talent like Antony seems like a good idea.
That the Brazilian attacker has played under ten Hag is a bonus. It remains to be seen whether Ajax will want a higher bid as Manchester United close in on the winger.
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Yes, I’m in support of buying Anthony of Ajax, he is a talented player. The board should expedite action in the transfer market, as July is fast approaching for pre season friendlies.
I still believe that we need at least seven players as we need to replace every player that is leaving Man U. One of the things that led to our poor performance last season was lack of strength in depth. We need to avoid similar mistake next season.