Manchester United have made significant improvements in their attempts to sign Antony from Ajax. The Brazilian winger has been on United’s radar for the whole of the ongoing transfer window. The 22-year-old right-winger is now most likely to get his wish of reuniting with Erik ten Hag in England despite Ajax’s strong efforts to keep the Brazilian.
Antony found the net 12 times while also assisting 10 times in the 33 appearances he made for Ajax across all competitions last season (stats via transfermarkt). He became one of the most important players at Ajax under Erik ten Hag before the Dutch manager’s appointment at Manchester United. Ten Hag now wants Antony to help him succeed at Old Trafford.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have an agreement in principle with Ajax for the transfer of Antony. The Red Devils saw a bid of €90 million rejected for the Brazilian. However, they have now agreed to a €100 million transfer fee with the Dutch champions. Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder was determined to keep Antony but United’s outrageous offer has made the Dutch club agree to the Antony sale.
Manchester United had quite a few bids rejected by Ajax in their pursuit of the Brazilian winger. Ajax did not want to sell any more players as they already have let many of their core players leave in this window. This, meanwhile, caused frustration in Antony which led to the Brazilian missing a few training sessions and not starting the games for Ajax.
Antony to Manchester United, here we go! Agreement in principle with Ajax, €100m fee. Contract until June 2027 with option until 2028. To be signed tomorrow. 🚨🔴🇧🇷 #MUFC
Contracts being prepared, it’s Eredivisie historical record fee — Antony will be in Manchester next week. pic.twitter.com/Wr9mUiX1Ud
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2022
Antony had an interview with Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel after this transfer saga. The 22-year-old winger clarified that he let Ajax know about his desire to leave the club in February. He mentioned that he had also rejected a contract renewal proposal from Ajax. Now, the deal with Manchester United is expected to be accelerated in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Why Manchester United Are Desperate To Sign Antony?
Manchester United have not had a proper left-footed right-winger with flair since the departure of Angel Di Maria. Not to mention that Di Maria’s tenure at United also did not reach the expectations that fans had hoped for prior to his arrival. Since then, United have struggled to recruit a proper right winger or a player who prefers to play on the right-hand side.
The Red Devils made the big money signing of Jadon Sancho to handle the right-hand side of the pitch. However, as it turns out, the 22-year-old English international also performs much better on the left side of the pitch rather than on the right. If in any case Sancho gets suspended or gets injured, United do not have any other option to cover for him.
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Antony is a player with trademark Brazilian flair, something which has been lacking at United for quite a few years. The 22-year-old winger likes to cut inside, making more space for the right fullback to overlap. Antony also has the eye for creative passes which unlock defences, making him a threat while taking set-pieces.
However, the most important aspect of his game is that he likes to take on defenders. His quick feet help him to get past the defenders and create space or a goal-scoring chance for himself or his teammates.
Since the loss of form of Marcus Rashford, only Jadon Sancho has shown the ability to take on defenders. But Antony does that on a far more frequent basis which could be used by United to break down teams with low blocks.
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