Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Ajax has officially ended and after sealing a third consecutive Eredivisie title last week, he is believed to have begun work as Manchester United’s next manager.
Ralf Rangnick is still in charge and will be in the dugout for this weekend’s game against Crystal Palace but Ten Hag will be watching the game with a keen eye.
As expected, Ten Hag has been tipped to raid his former club Ajax this summer and United have been heavily linked with a move for central defender Jurrien Timber.
They could, however, be gearing up to target winger Antony, who has impressed for the Amsterdam side this season and become a regular for the Brazil national team.
That’s according to UOL, via Sport Witness, who claim that Manchester United are one of the teams interested in the tricky wide forward.
As per the report, there is also competition from Liverpool, who have joined United in being the two clubs to have made approaches for Antony in recent weeks.
Read more: Ralf Rangnick wants meaningful role at Man Utd following interim spell
The approaches are not said to be official and still at an informal stage but should there be interest from abroad, the two Premier League clubs hold an advantage as the player is said to prefer a move to England.
Furthermore, Erik ten Hag’s arrival at United is also claimed to give the Old Trafford club the upper hand in any race to secure Antony’s services.
SN’s verdict…
Antony has three years remaining on his contract at Ajax and they are in no rush to sell, with several other first-team regulars expected to be snapped up by Europe’s elite clubs.
They could, however, be tempted into cashing in on their prized asset as they failed in a bid to raise David Neres’ value three years ago in a similar situation.
Marcus Rashford’s challenging season and Mason Greenwood’s ongoing legal case, there is a case to be made for United to target a winger this summer
