Manchester United is nearing an agreement to sign Ajax winger Antony.
Negotiations between the clubs have progressed well over the weekend, and there is optimism that an agreement will be reached before the Thursday transfer deadline. United has had bids of €80 million and €90 million rejected by Ajax, the most recent on Friday, but the Dutch side has indicated that they are willing to accept an offer close to €99 million.
Antony has stated his desire to leave Ajax and rejoin his former manager Erik ten Hag, at Old Trafford. The deal is not done, according to news reports. Still, a negotiation breakthrough has significantly increased the likelihood of an agreement being reached in the remaining days of the window.
Ten Hag is eager to bolster his forward line before the transfer window closes, especially after Anthony Martial suffered an achilles injury. With a hamstring injury sustained during the preseason, the France international missed the season’s first two games.
Antony would be the fifth summer signing for Manchester United, following the arrivals of Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Casemiro. The Brazilian winger, who has nine caps, scored 12 goals in 33 games for Ajax last season. He moved to Amsterdam from Sao Paulo in 2020 for a fee of €15 million.
Ten Hag has already taken a big risk by signing Antony for United.
Antony is an incredible prospect with the potential to become a United superstar. Still, the substantial financial investment to bring the winger to Manchester will be scrutinized by fans, and Ten Hag is already taking a significant risk in his tenure at Old Trafford by making this signing.
After all, £84 million is a lot of money for a 22-year-old Ajax winger. While Ten Hag knows him well, there’s no guarantee that the winger will succeed in Manchester with United, despite the encouraging signs between the coach and the Brazilian.
The 22-year-old was left out of Ajax’s 1-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam last weekend and missed Sunday’s game against Utrecht, as United remained in talks with the Dutch champions.
