Manchester United’s move to sign Ajax winger Antony reportedly remains ‘very much still on’.
Erik ten Hag is interested in bringing the 22-year-old to the Premier League following a successful spell at Ajax, with the Brazilian having scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in all competitions for the Dutch champions last season.
United’s interest in Antony had been viewed as a contingency plan should Cristiano Ronaldo leave, amid widespread reports that the Portugal captain is keen on an exit from Old Trafford this summer.
However, talkSPORT are reporting that the Red Devils’ interest in Antony is not dependent on Ronaldo’s future and that a potential move to the Premier League remains ‘very much on’.
“Antony at Ajax, there has been lots of reports that Manchester United’s interest in him was over. I was under the impression last week that he would only be a target if Cristiano Ronaldo was to leave. That may not be the case,” talkSPORT correspondent Alex Crooks said.
“I’ve had some information from a very reliable source that Manchester United are still very much looking to bring Antony to the Premier League.
“Ten Hag is a big admirer of his qualities and feels that he can add something to his Manchester United rebuild. I haven’t got a specific price, yet. I think the fee being discussed over in Holland is around €70m, but I think it might be a little less than that.
“The message that I’m being given is Antony to Manchester United is very much still on.”
Reports in the Netherlands have suggested a fee in the region of €80m for Antony, who signed for Ajax from Sao Paulo in 2020, with the Dutch side having recently held on to extract their full valuation for the transfer of Lisandro Martinez, also to United.
Antony has scored 23 goals in 79 appearances for Ajax and has broken into the Brazil squad, earning nine caps since his international debut in 2021.
