Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has signed Lisandro Martinez from former club Ajax, giving him a boost in his pursuit of Brazilian forward Antony.
Manchester United's pursuit of Ajax forward Antony has been given a potential boost as the Dutch giants close in on a deal to sign Francisco Conceicao.
New United manager Erik ten Hag wants Antony in his ideal XI at Old Trafford, and the Brazilian forward is eager to reunite with his former coach after putting pressure on Ajax to allow him to join the Red Devils during the summer transfer window.
Antony, the star player for the Dutch side last season, is hopeful of rekindling his strong relationship with Ten Hag, according to reports that the player's representatives recently traveled to Europe to help negotiate a deal this window.
Ajax have already strengthened their attack this summer by signing Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn, who has a similar profile to the Brazilian. The Dutch international, like Antony, is a right-sided attacking player, and his arrival would soften the blow of losing the star forward to United.
The Amsterdam giants are also close to completing a deal for another player with a similar profile, Conceicao from FC Porto. The 19-year-old had a breakthrough season at the Portuguese club last season, and the Under-21 international star - the son of Porto manager Sergio Conceicao - is now set to make the move to the Eredivisie.
Conceicao primarily played on the right side of midfield for Porto last season, but he has a goal-scoring eye and has primarily played in a more attacking role for club and country at youth level. While Bergwijn can play more centrally, Conceicao is a pure right-sided player who would play in the same position as Antony.
Antony appeared in 33 games for the Dutch giants last season, scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists before being sidelined for the remainder of the season due to injury. He also appeared in nine South American World Cup qualifiers for the Brazilian national team, scoring two goals.
Ten Hag is looking for more balance in his attack, with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford primarily deployed on the left flank, despite Sancho's ability to play on either flank. Anthony Elanga recently stated that he preferred to play on the left rather than the right, where he had been used by former United interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
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