Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to offer Steven Bergwijn to AFC Ajax as part of a deal to sign Manchester United target Antony this summer.
According to the Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Manchester United are running the risk of missing out on the signing of AFC Ajax winger Antony as Tottenham Hotspur have entered the fray for the Brazilian’s transfer and are willing to offer a player in exchange.
Antony has become one of the most coveted young wingers in Europe after enjoying a couple of fruitful campaigns in the Netherlands under Erik ten Hag. With the Dutchman now at Manchester United, the Red Devils have been credited with a serious interest in the 22-year-old speedster this summer.
Manchester United are in the market for new wide forwards after having seen Marcus Rashford struggle in the season gone by. With Amad Diallo likely to be loaned out again and the likes of Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata departing as free agents, the Red Devils have become short on numbers in the attacking third.
So, even though teenage prodigy Alejandro Garnacho could be promoted to the senior team, Manchester United are looking to add a more proven winger to their roster, with Antony emerging as a key target. Recent reports had even indicated that the Premier League giants were closing in on the capture of the Brazilian international.
However, Tottenham Hotspur are now prepared to throw a spanner in the works in Manchester United’s plans of signing Antony. As per Miguel Delaney, the north London giants have also expressed an interest in signing the AFC Ajax star and are ready to offer them a replacement in the form of Steven Bergwijn as part of the deal.
It is no secret that Ajax have held a strong interest in Bergwijn since the January transfer window and are still pursuing the Netherlands international. However, Tottenham have already knocked back an offer from the Dutch champions for their forward and are demanding a sum of €25 million for his services.
But with Ajax finding it hard to stump up the cash, Tottenham are now considering the possibility of offering Bergwijn in what will likely be a player-plus-cash deal to sign Antony. The Brazilian would arrive to add more depth and quality to the Spurs frontline, while Ajax would be getting a direct replacement for their star attacker.
With their rivals already making serious inroads in the transfer market, Manchester United need to up the ante in the coming weeks. And losing Antony to Tottenham Hotspur after having seen Jurrien Timber back out of a transfer would represent an inauspicious start to the summer window for ten Hag and United.
