Welcome Antony: Manchester United Confirm €100m Signing Of Ajax Forward

Manchester United have confirmed that they have reached an agreement worth up to €100m with Ajax for Antony.

Antony Matheus Dos Santos of Ajax

The deal will see United pay a guaranteed €95m (£81.3m), plus a further €5m (£4.2m) in add-ons, subject to a medical, finalising personal terms and international clearance.

The 22-year-old winger will be reunited with Erik ten Hag but will not be available for Thursday’s Premier League trip to Leicester City while awaiting his visa.

Antony arrived in Manchester on Monday afternoon to undergo a medical at United’s Carrington training ground and personal terms are expected to be a formality.

The Brazil international becomes the second-most expensive signing in United’s history, behind only the world record-breaking £89.6m arrival of Paul Pogba from Juventus in 2016.

United are also nearing the loan signing of Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who together with Antony is expected to be the final addition to Ten Hag’s squad of the summer.

The 22-year-old is the fifth new arrival of the window following the signings of Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro.

Antony is understood to have been one of Ten Hag’s priorities since the start of the window and has been pursued by Old Trafford officials all summer, with Ajax rejecting several previous offers.

Antony went public with his demands to leave Ajax last week, after a €90m bid was rejected by the Eredivise club. Progress was made in negotiations over the weekend and United are said to have been impressed by his desire to join.

United’s scouting network had monitored Antony prior to Ten Hag’s appointment as manager but his arrival is further evidence of Ten Hag’s influence on incomings at Old Trafford this summer.

The prospective €100m fee takes United’s summer spending up to a total of more than £225m in fees, with add-ons and instalments included, their most since the £191m outlay in the summer of 2019.

Photo Credit: Getty

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