Why Man Utd still have Antony hope

Suraj Radia

18 Aug 2022 15:57 BST
3 min read

Manchester United felt they had been priced out of a move for Antony but a move for the Ajax winger could be re-ignited in the final weeks of the transfer window.

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Erik ten Hag had identified the Brazilian as a primary target upon his arrival at the start of the summer, and United were engaged in talks with Ajax over a €70 million move.

However, United's indecisiveness saw Ajax up their asking price to €100m after they sold a host of first team players and opted against letting any more leave.

The move was thought to be dead but United's dismal start to the season has seen the club consider a fresh approach for Antony despite them now constrained to a limited budget.

Any deal is dependent on how much money United can generate from the sales of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been linked with a £10m return to Crystal Palace, and James Garner, a £15m target for Southampton.

United have spent more than £65m on three players so far and are still looking to bring in up to five new faces, with a defensive midfielder thought to be the priority.

Should the club raise enough money through sales and still have enough funds after securing a midfielder, a new bid for Antony could well be on the horizon.

Sales the key to rescuing United's season

Ten Hag sanctioned a £52m deal for Lisandro Martinez as well as £13.5m on Tyrell Malacia in the belief that he would still have enough left in the budget to address all his concerns, however the club have struggled to generate money through selling players.

United were hoping to increase their budget by cashing in on the likes of Eric Bailly and Phil Jones but Andreas Pereira's £8.5m switch to Fulham is the only fee United have received from sales so far this summer.

The club would still like to sign a backup goalkeeper, a striker and a right-back in addition to a midfielder and a winger and they have been linked to more than 20 players since their 4-0 loss to Brentford.

Stop that Antony. pic.twitter.com/HZLyUL6Qao
— Stop That Football (@stopthatfooty) August 14, 2022

They may also require another striker should Cristiano Ronaldo leave, with United altering their previous stance claiming that the 37-year-old was not for sale.

There is a belief that Ronaldo's attitude since his demand to leave the club has had a negative impact in the dressing room and that a sale would give the squad a much-needed boost, even if it leaves them without a reliable outlet for goals.

United are bottom of the Premier League table for the first time in 30 years after back-to-back defeats in their opening two games and have conceded the joint-most goals of any team so far.