Manchester United ‘Hopeful’ After Ajax Forward Hands in Transfer Request

According to transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United remains hopeful of signing Ajax forward Antony after the Brazilian international recently handed in a transfer request.

The Red Devils are looking to bolster their forward options and Erik Ten Hag views Antony as a priority transfer target.

Ajax maintained for the longest time that the player was not for sale but remain open to offers that matched their asking price. So far, Ajax have managed to stay firm, although they are believed to be open to offers over £90million.

Ajax have already lost manager Erik Ten Hag and Argentinian center half Lisandro Martinez to the Red Devils, which may have dented their hopes of retaining the Eredivisie title. Manchester United have already agreed personal terms with the Brazilian forward but are yet to reach an agreement with the current Dutch champions.

Antony joined Ajax in 2020 from Sao Paulo in a deal worth £14million. He has undoubtedly been a key player for them for the last two seasons. He managed to score 12 goals and provide 10 assists across 33 games last season.

He also managed to score the winning goal to gift Ajax their 36th Eredivisie title. Antony is keen to join United as soon as possible after the 22-year-old refused to train with Ajax and was left out for the game against Sparta Rotterdam.

Is Antony to Manchester United Really Worth It?

Antony’s quick pace and fantastic dribbling skills have seen him branded with the inevitable nickname the ‘New Neymar’ by many. At just 5ft 9inches tall, Antony’s game depends a lot on his technical ability, as well as his speed and acceleration to beat his opponents.

Unlike Sancho, Antony is much more direct and likes to attack the wing rather than cutting inside like the English star.

The Brazilian averaged 1.8 dribbles per game, with only Paul Pogba recording more for the Manchester club, and was fouled an average of 1.3 times per game over 23 appearances in the Eredivisie last season.

He also averaged 1.6 key passes per game only bettered by Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw for the Red Devils last season.

He is without a question, a flair player with flicks and tricks to beat his opponent and carve out chances to score for both himself and his teammates.

He can beat a player with a bit of wizardry, he can split a defense open with one pass in behind and he can take it all the way and score it himself as well. The fact that Man United haven’t had a proper right winger since Di Maria makes the signing of Antony the priority.

Manchester United, in comparison to other clubs, haven’t been that active in the transfer market but the Red Devils have recently confirmed the signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

The Red Devils are also in talks with Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay, who are viewed as alternatives should the deal with Antony collapse.