Antony to Man Utd: How close is the Ajax winger to a transfer?
Robin Bairner
- 11 Jun 2022 12:47 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are hoping to make Ajax winger Antony their first big transfer deal of the Erik ten Hag era.
The 22-year-old began his career at Sao Paulo before moving to Ajax in 2020 for a fee of €16 million. His career has ignited at the Johan Cruyff Arena, where he scored 12 goals in 33 appearances under Ten Hag in the 2021/22 season.
Now the Dutch manager is hopeful of attracting him to Old Trafford, albeit for a fee far in excess of the one that Ajax initially paid for him.
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Antony to Man Utd latest
The consensus is that Antony’s transfer to Manchester United is one that is rapidly gaining momentum and looks to be the deal that the Red Devils may conclude first this summer.
Goal reports that the Brazil international’s representatives are already in Europe to hold talks with Man Utd, who are ready to pay around €60m for the player. Not all of this money will go straight to Ajax, however. Sao Paulo have a 20% sell-on clause in his deal that will guarantee them around €15m – effectively doubling the initial sum they received for the player.
It is expected that discussions over a fee should pass rather easily given that the relationship with Ajax is strong. Not only do United now have Ten Hag in their corner, but they have recently worked with the Amsterdam club over deals for Donny van de Beek and Daley Blind, to name a couple.
The presence of the manager, however, may be decisive in swaying any doubts that Antony, who has a contract that runs until 2025, had over moving to a club that will not have Champions League football next season.
There is optimism that a deal could be concluded swiftly.
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How much is Antony worth?
FootballTransfers’ valuation of Antony is €33m, with a top-end estimate of €42m.
Although it appears that Manchester United may be overpaying for the left-sided player, they are paying a premium because of their status as one of the biggest clubs in the world. This works both ways, though. Antony’s valuation will likely enjoy a sharp rise once the transfer is completed.
