Man Utd submit first Antony transfer bid but offer falls well below Ajax demands

Manchester United's opening bid for Antony has been rejected after the Premier League club fell nearly £20million short of Ajax's valuation.

The Brazilian winger, 22, is one of Erik ten Hag's main transfer targets after flourishing under the new United boss at Ajax last season. He scored 12 goals in all competitions, helping the Amsterdam outfit win the Eredivisie title for a second successive season.

Antony was named the Eredivisie's Talent of the Month in December and has broken into Brazil's senior team, winning nine caps to date. He is expected to be part of their squad for the World Cup in Qatar and helped them win gold at the Olympics last summer.

United made a €60m (£51m) bid for Antony but Ajax are holding out for €80m (£68m). The player's agent Emerson Santos has reportedly held meetings with United to finalise a move, yet the Dutch champions want to keep him for another season.

Antony still has three years left on his Ajax contract and it's claimed new coach Alfred Schreuder sees him as part of his squad. The talented youngster is reportedly keen on a reunion with Ten Hag, the man who gave him his opportunity in European football.

But Ajax are not under financial pressure to sell Antony having just flogged former West Ham striker Sebastien Haller to Borussia Dortmund. That deal was completed on Wednesday afternoon for a reported €35m (£29.9m) with Haller signing a four-year deal.

Should Antony leave Ajax for Manchester United? Let us know in the comments below!

Ten Hag has previously confirmed there is nothing stopping him from singing Antony. "There is no agreement in place that would exclude me from taking players to Man Utd," he told WeTalkAjax. "Which Ajax players are interesting? I have very good players here."

Ten Hag has described Antony as an "incredible talent." He added: "He is going through an incredibly beautiful development. Especially if we perform in the Champions League, then it is clear that he will come into the spotlight and be interesting for a lot of clubs."

Antony is also a fan of Ten Hag. "Every player under his guidance becomes a better footballer through his training," he said in March. "Since my arrival, he has given me a lot of confidence and believed in what I can do. I am grateful to him for that."

Antony came through the ranks at Sao Paulo, making 52 appearances for the Brazilian giants before joining Ajax in July 2020. The Dutch giants invested an initial £13m in the then 19-year-old with that figure potentially rising to £18.2m via add-ons.

Brazil legend Rivaldo has urged Antony to leave Ajax for United this summer. "Man Utd - who have his former manager Erik ten Hag - seems to be the closest club to signing him and I'm confident we'll all enjoy watching him play at Old Trafford," Rivaldo told Betfair.

"Just like [Leeds United winger] Raphinha, he might benefit from playing at a bigger club to get closer to being a regular at the World Cup, though I also think his place in the squad is safe since Tite has been calling him up lately and has confidence in his qualities."