Antony talks edge in United’s favour: Why Ten Hag is so desperate to sign him

Manchester United could be preparing a bid for 22-year-old Ajax winger Antony, with club
officials rumoured to be in Amsterdam holding talks over the young Brazilian.

How would Antony complement this troublesome Manchester United side?

First and foremost, a decisive factor in this deal for both sides could be the fact that Antony
played under newly appointed United manager Erik ten Hag during his managerial reign at
Ajax.

When the Ajax players bid farewell to their Head Coach on social media after
announcing the move, Antony said: “I want to thank you for everything you taught me. Know
that I will always stand with you if you need me.”

Antony was a key player in the squad last season; he contributed 12 goals and eight assists
in 33 appearances in a campaign which saw the Dutch side crowned Eredivisie champions
for the third consecutive season. The forward was also awarded the Eredivisie Talent of the
Month in December 2021.

Despite an admirable season, Antony faced criticism from an array of journalists regarding
his behaviour in the De Klassieker fixture in March in which he was shown a red-card for
time-wasting in the 93rd minute, after scoring the winning goal of the heated match between
the rivals and celebrated by removing his shirt in front of the Ajax fans (causing his first
booking.)

What is the latest on Antony to Manchester United?

SunSport reported on Tuesday that the Red Devils are closing in on Antony as their first signing of the summer window for a fee of £40m.

With right-wing troubles prevalent throughout United’s 22/23 campaign, seeing as the
majority of the first-team attackers are deployed on the left or through the middle, Antony
could be the decisive factor in a well-balanced attacking dynamic for the Reds heading into a
new season.

After an ongoing five-year trophy drought on the red side of Manchester, it’s illogical to put
all of the goal-scoring threat and responsibility on 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo again.

United remain in pursuit of main target Frenkie De Jong, with talks still ongoing over a
potential move from Barcelona for the creative midfielder.