Manchester United were keen on Bulgarian international Valentin Antov
According to Italian publication, Corriere Dello Sport via Sport Witness, Manchester United were interested in Bulgarian international Valentin Antov.
The 20-year-old is a promising player who made his name at CSKA Sofia. With his contract expiring in 2022, United were touted as one of the clubs keen on securing his services.
While the Red Devils were preparing to make their move in the summer, Serie A side Bologna moved quickly to take him on loan in January.
The player too appears to be happy to move to the Serie A. He described it as a one time opportunity that will help him develop as a player. If all goes well, the Italians can sign Antov permanently for €3.5m.
“It isn’t possible to go to England anymore because of Brexit. Now I’m only interested in Bologna.”
A versatile player, the Bulgarian can not only play in defence but also in defensive midfield. This has helped him develop into a player capable of bringing the ball out from the back. He would have made a promising addition to the United backline.
Premier League rivals Arsenal were also keen on signing Antov. However, as the player put it, Brexit would have made a potential deal to England tough.
It would appear that he will need to acquire more points in order to be eligible to move to England. If he keeps going from strength to strength, it could be something we could see happen in the future.
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It is no secret that United need a dependable partner alongside Maguire. However, Antov is still a work in progress and is still some ways from being the play we require. Whether he develops into the solution remains to be seen.