Manchester United set to complete their first summer signing
Erik ten Hag’s revolution has already begun in the city of Manchester and it seems that the Red Devils are ready to complete their first big summer signing. According to the English newspaper The Sun, Manchester United officials are in Amsterdam to complete a £40 million deal for the Brazilian winger, Antony.
As reported by the tabloid, the Brazilian youngster was one of the players the Dutch coach asked the Red Devils’ staff to join his squad and his good relationship with the ace is one of the reasons why the deal could be completed.
“Erik ten Hag wants his former player to start his rebuild at Old Trafford to make United competitive again at the top end of the Premier League,” explained Neil Custis, The Sun’s reporter.
The Brazilian youngster was one of the highlights of Ajax’s excellent 2021-2022 season, when the team won the Dutch championship and reached the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. In 32 matches for Ajax this season, the winger scored 12 goals, provided 10 assists and won the gold medal with Brazil in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Antony is an extremely skillful player and it seems to be easy for him to beat defenders using his skills combined with his agility. The arrival of the Brazilian increases the competition for a place on the wings of the team and it could motivate Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who did not perform up to the level of football United fans were expecting last season.
The Sun also reported Antony is not the only Ajax player Ten Hag is willing to bring to Manchester United, as Jurrien Timber, Ajax’s center-back, is also one of the targets for this transfer window. However, this deal seems to be more difficult to be achieved due to Timber’s intention to play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Former United boss Louis van Gaal warned Timber that if he does not get enough game time at United then he will be out of his Dutch World Cup squad, which appears to have spooked the player,” wrote Custis.
-Matheus Teles