Manchester United have signed Erik ten Hag as their new manager, but since then, there has not been a lot of action around Old Trafford. This summer will be a shorter one, as the Premier League is set to start on 7 August, due to the World Cup being played in November and December. While that would mean a shorter pre-season and less wiggle room for the team to get to know each other with the new manager, there have been no new signings. The wait is getting longer as Man United have failed so far in bringing in new, fresh blood, which could boost the quality of a team after the worst ever Premier League campaign in history of Man United.
But now the media are suggesting Manchester United could be in for another Ajax player. After rumours about Jurrien Timber and other Ajax players, Antony is the latest in the line of those who worked under Ten Hag that could be in his team once again. According to ESPN in the Netherlands, Man United are ready to offer 40 million pounds to Ajax for the Brazilian. But now that we have heard that United are interested in Antony, let’s have a closer look at who he is and what he could bring to this Man United team.
Who Is Antony?
Antony’s full name is Antony Matheus dos Santos. He is a winger who plays for Ajax and the Brazil national team. He is just 22 years old, as he is of the 2000 generation of players. He has already shown some great performances at Ajax throughout the last season, which had seen Ten Hag and his former team win the Eredivisie title.
The Brazilian started out with Sao Paulo in his native country, before Ajax snapped him up in February 2020 for 13 million pounds. He signed a five-year deal, but after just over two years later, he could be leaving Amsterdam due to clubs already being interested in him. Antony’s first season at Ajax had seen him have both goals and assists in double digits, as he ended up the campaign with 10 goals and 10 assists. Last season, however, was even better. As he became a more integral part of the starting XI, he scored 12 goasls and 10 assists, winning his second title in the Netherlands.
How Antony Plays?
Antony’s style of play is interesting, but it could still be improved. The 22-year-old winger has great acceleration and speed, which tormented the defenders in the Netherlands. His dribbling abilities are on spot and he is not afraid of going 1-v-1. What could also make him an interesting prospect for Ten Hag is that he is reliable when crossing from deeper positions, which is something that could be quite useful with Cristiano Ronaldo in the striking position. He is a worker, he is also doing his bit of work off the ball, too, which is a must for any Ten Hag team. As for some of his weaknesses, Antony is a very left-footed player. His right foot is not as good as it should be at this level and he can be over-reliant on his left foot. Also, his decision-making at the end of team’s actions can be poor and sloppy, but at 22, that is not something that is too unsurprising or could not be improved.
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