Ajax will remain firm in their bid to keep Antony out of the clutches of Manchester United after one of the Brazilian’s representatives flew to England for further talks with the Red Devils earlier this week. The Dutch giants have slapped a £68m price tag on the 22-year-old and remain adamant they will not soften their stance on a sale following Lisandro Martinez’s £57m move to Old Trafford.
United boss Erik ten Hag has personally requested the signing of his former striker, who has already publicly stated his desire to prove himself on English shores.
But the Ajax hierarchy have collectively decided there will be no more marquee sales this summer after offloading Martinez, Sebastien Haller, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui.
When asked if he was afraid of Antony leaving, Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder said: “No, no. We have sold a certain amount of players and I hope no one else will leave.
“We talk every day. It would be bad for us if we lose another starting player.”
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United appear to be in no rush to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who they believe will remain a Manchester United player at the end of the transfer window.
The Portuguese superstar remains in Lisbon and is excused from United’s pre-season tour of Australia for family reasons.
In the background, super agent Jorge Mendes continues to float him around a list of European clubs with Atletico Madrid apparently Ronaldo’s preferred destination.
However, Atlético have distanced themselves from any deal, saying they have no interest in signing the 37-year-old.
United are refusing to linger in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, despite the deal appearing to be at an impasse.
A basic fee has already been agreed with Barcelona, but the player does not want to move to Old Trafford because he wants to turn his Barcelona career around.
Ruben Neves and Youri Tielemans are among the names that could be of interest, should United decide to move on from De Jong.
United’s work in the transfer market is far from over, but with just two weeks until the start of the 2022/23 Premier League season, Ten Hag will be keen for the board to make progress in the search of new recruits.