A representative for Ajax attacker Antony has reportedly made the trip to England to hold transfer talks with Manchester United, as the speculation surrounding the Brazilian continues.
The 22-year-old was in impressive form for the Dutch champions last season, scoring 12 goals and registering 10 assists in 33 appearances in all competitions.
Man United boss Erik ten Hag is allegedly desperate for a reunion with the Brazil international in Manchester, with the Dutchman pushing for his new club to sign the right-sided forward.
A recent report claimed that the 20-time English champions were still firmly in the picture for Antony amid suggestions that their interest had cooled due to Ajax's high asking price.
According to The Times, one of Antony's agents is currently in Manchester to hold talks with Man United, who remain keen to sign another attacker before the end of the transfer window.
According to talkSPORT transfer insider Alex Crook, the Red Devils could potentially sign Antony for a fee in the region of €70m (£59.9m) this summer.
"I've been getting some information about a player we've spoken about before, Antony at Ajax," said Crook. "There have been a lot of reports that Manchester United's interest in him is over. I was under the impression last week that a move for him would only be a target if Cristiano Ronaldo was to leave.
"That may not be the case. I've had some information from a very reliable source that Manchester United are still very much looking to bring Antony to the Premier League.
"Erik ten Hag is a big admirer of his qualities and believes he can add something to his Manchester United rebuild. They haven't got a specific price yet, but the price discussed over in Holland is €70m (£59.9m), or a little bit less than that."
Chelsea and Liverpool are also believed to be keeping a close eye on the developments surrounding the Brazilian, who has represented his Dutch side on 78 occasions since arriving from Sao Paulo in July 2020, contributing 22 goals and 20 assists.
However, Ten Hag's strong relationship with Antony, who is still on the sidelines with an ankle injury, is believed to place Man United in a strong position when it comes to a possible deal.
"I want to thank you for everything you taught me. Know that I will always stand with you if you need me," Antony posted on social media when Ten Hag left to take the job at Old Trafford.
The new Man United head coach also said during a press conference ahead of Saturday's pre-season clash with Aston Villa that he wants to sign attacking reinforcements this summer.
"We signed [Christian] Eriksen for the midfield department, so we are really happy with that," Ten Hag told reporters. "And yes, I am really happy also with our performances of our midfield department and offensive department at this moment.
"But I also know about this season - we talk about it in Bangkok and Melbourne - it's a lot of games, the World Cup, so we need more options where you have a good team, and it's not only about the team, you need a good squad to get the right results at the end of the season.
"So we have to strengthen the squad even more and we are looking around but we also need the right players. There is a reason in a number of games you need more options in offence, clear. I think it's vital if you want to get success, the season is really long but we still also have time to fill that in."
Antony still has three years left to run on his contract in Amsterdam, while Ajax have already made some big sales this summer, placing them in a strong position to keep hold of the South American. body check tags ::
