Manchester United have signed winger, Antony from Ajax in a £85.4m transfer.
This move reunites Antony with his former Ajax manager – Erik ten Hag under who he scored 23 goals in 79 senior appearances across the last two seasons, en route to two Eredivisie titles and 2020-21 KNVB Cup.
Utd though endured a frustrating summer in their attempts to sign Antony with multiple bids previously rejected for the 22 year-old Brazilian winger, until a breakthrough was made across the weekend with the Red Devils set to pay an £85.4m transfer fee including adds-on.
Under the deal, United will pay an initial guaranteed £81.1m plus a further £4.3m in add-ons once various clauses are met within the deal.
This transfer will also be a new record-high transfer involving a Dutch club competing in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie, exceeding the £68m sale of Ajax’s Matthijs De Ligt to Juventus in 2019.
Antony has signed a five-year contract until June 2027 with an option for a further season which could see him stay at Utd until June 2028,.
Speaking about his decision to switch to Man Utd following weeks of speculation, Antony said: ““This is an incredible moment in my career to be joining one of the most iconic clubs in the world.
“I’m thankful to everyone who has believed in me, especially my family, and all my coaches and team-mates, because I could not have got here without them.”
Having played under Ten Hag at Ajax, Antony believes that having that opportunity was “perfect” for his development as he explained: “His style of football and coaching brings out the best in me, and I am excited by what he has told me about his plans and ambitions in Manchester.”
Antony also paid tribute to his time at Ajax as he concluded: “My time at Ajax was fantastic and I will always be grateful for the trust they put in me, but now I am ready for the next challenge, and I can’t wait to join my new team-mates and play my part in bringing success to Manchester United.”
Utd’s Director of Football, John Murtough added: “Antony is one of the most exciting young talents in European football and has exactly the right profile for the attacking, dynamic team Erik is building.
“We have been especially impressed by his desire to join Manchester United, and to be part of a long-term project to get the club back to the levels of performance we all expect.”
Antony began his career with his hometown club – Sao Paulo where he graduated through their youth academy, where he scored six goals in 52 appearances before he joined Ajax in July 2020.
On top of his 23 goals in 79 appearances in two seasons under Ten Hag at Ajax, Antony has scored twice in three appearances for the Dutch team, as he leaves with 25 goals in 82 total appearances across all competitions.
Antony represents Brazil in international football and made his senior debut in October 2021, from which he has gone on to earn nine international caps and scored twice – albeit on debut against Venezuela then against Paraguay in February 2022.
Antony could make his club debut for Utd away at Leicester City in a 8pm BST kick-off on Thursday 1 September live on BT Sport.
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