Krishnan Sreekumar
Incoming Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag to raid former club Ajax Amsterdam to sign winger Antony
According to The Sun, incoming new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is set to raid his former club Ajax Amsterdam in the summer transfer window to sign winger Antony, who has been one of the standout players for the Dutch giants.
ten Hag is close to finalising a move to United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s official replacement, after the Norwegian was sacked late last year after failing to put together a winning run with the team and saw his side slip down the Premier League table.
Now, it looks like he could be set to go back to Ajax to sign players for the Red Devils, as a source with the Eredivisie club revealed that if the Amsterdam side gets a good fee and if it is right for the club, then it would not be a problem
“If it’s right for the club and they get a good fee, then it won’t be a problem for Ten Hag to go back to Ajax for players.”
The Dutchman has a history of signing former players he trusts, so it seems likely that going back to Ajax to poach players for his new club would not faze him. It was ten Hag who brought Antony to Holland, signing him from Sao Paulo in 2020.
“He is a massive fan of Antony”
It is said that as long as Ajax get a realistic offer from any club for the winger, which is above £50m, it would not be difficult to negotiate with them and prise their forward away. His price valuation seems to be indicative of the fact that he is billed as one of the world’s most exciting young talents.
The Ajax insider also said that ten Hag is a massive fan of Antony, and is aware that the 22-year-old could see his stock and price rise if he manages to be one of the standout players for Brazil in the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
“He is a massive fan of Antony, who he has nurtured, and is smart enough to realise if he goes to Qatar and helps Brazil win the World Cup then his price will go through the roof as a world champion.”
Expectations were high this season, given that the Red Devils finished second in the league last term. To ensure this, the club invested in quality signings like Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho to bolster the squad and go one step further than they did last year.
Instead, Old Trafford saw a permanent manager depart and an interim manager take over, with the club sitting in fifth place and in danger of missing out on a Champions League next season. Their new signings did not perform as expected and instead of a title charge, we are now struggling to make top 4.
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The arrival of ten Hag is to ensure that a new era is ushered in at the Theatre of Dreams, with the club getting back to chasing trophies and earning success across multiple competitions. The Dutchman is also said to be eager to hit the ground running in Manchester, and has viewed Antony as the player to help him start his revolution at United.
The head coach’s move to United may also help revive the career of Donny van de Beek, with the former Ajax player frozen out from the team despite hardly getting to make an impression on the pitch. He is expected to return to his parent club in the summer when his loan spell at Everton expires, and we may see van de Beek also turning out to be like a new signing for us next term.
