2 years ago
Manchester United are looking to upgrade Marcus Rashford as part of a £70 million transfer plan.
The Red Devils academy graduate has had a difficult time recently, having his worst individual season since breaking into the team.
Manchester United may see Ajax winger Antony as a potential upgrade on struggling Marcus Rashford if a deal can be reached with the Dutch giants.
From their time together at the Amsterdam Arena, new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is well aware of the threat Antony poses. United have been linked with a number of Ten Hag's former players who still play in the Dutch capital, but Antony is likely to be the most expensive if a deal is reached.
Ten Hag and United's director of football John Murtough are both big fans of Antony and agree on one thing that makes him a particularly appealing prospect. Both of the men in charge of the Red Devils' transfer dealings value the 22-year-versatility. old's
He will not, however, be cheap, with Ajax placing a £70 million bounty on the young Brazilian. It appears unlikely that they could spend that much money when they are on the verge of spending another £65 million on FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Ten Hag appears to have decided against signing a striker in the same way that rivals Liverpool and Manchester City have. The other big-six rivals have signed Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland, while United is still waiting for their first arrival of any kind.
Instead, they want someone who can operate on the front lines. This, in turn, could cause problems for some of United's current crop, most notably Rashford, who has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford following a disastrous season last season.
The England international's form last season fell far short of what is required for a club of United's stature, and was significantly shorter than Antony's form during the same time frame. While he, like Rashford, dealt with injuries, he still managed to rack up eight goals and four assists in the league alone.
Rashford, on the other hand, only had four goals and two assists in more games than his potential future teammate. Some believe that Antony's arrival will motivate Rashford to dig deep and reclaim the form that once made him such an attacking threat.
Last season, Antony outperformed Rashford in almost every metric, and signing him would force the Old Trafford darling to rise to the occasion or risk falling out of Ten Hag's first-team plans entirely.
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