Manchester United are accelerating their attempts to sign Antony from Ajax, with the latest reports suggesting that Erik ten Hag's side have now submitted a bid for the Brazilian.
What's the word?
United have been regularly linked with the winger for some weeks now, and it has now been claimed by Goal correspondent James Robson that the Red Devils have submitted a £51m bid to the Dutch champions.
However, he also suggests that this is still £20m short of Ajax's €80m (£68m) asking price, and the Eredivisie side are certainly under no pressure to sell, having already received significant fees for Bundesliga-bound duo Ryan Gravenberch and Sebastien Haller this summer.
The 22-year-old is contracted at the Johan Cruyff Arena until 2025, so it seems as if United will have to meet Ajax's asking price if they want to bring him to Old Trafford this summer.
Ten Hag's dream?
Antony was a key player for Ajax last season as they won the title, making 23 appearances in the Dutch top-flight, contributing eight goals and four assists, averaging a superb 7.47 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
The new United boss spoke about the importance of having someone like the Brazilian in a team when he was out with injury, saying:
“I am also happy to have players with [this] temperament. You also need them.”
“We all miss him. Without Antony it is all a bit less fast and dynamic on the right, which also makes it more difficult for the team. Then the spaces become a lot smaller.”
If ten Hag wants to play in a similar style at United he will need players that he can trust to implement the fast, passing style of play that was so effective at Ajax, so it is no surprise that the Red Devils are being so heavily linked with Antony.
When he initially arrived at Ajax, veteran Dutch scout Piet de Visser was full of praise for the young winger, saying:
“Antony, that will be a winner! I have had him high for years. I saw him playing for the first time at age 16, in Brazil Under-17. Wonderful technical football player."
The 22-year-old certainly proved to be a success at Ajax and if he were to produce similar performances under ten Hag at United, he would surely be worth the asking price given his obvious potential, so the Dutch manager will be hoping and dreaming that he can agree a deal with his old side to bring Antony to Old Trafford this summer.