"Not even sure if they would accept €60 million" - Fabrizio Romano provides discouraging Manchester United transfer update
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed Manchester United have had discussions with Ajax over Antony, but the Red Devils may be put off by a high price tag.
Erik ten Hag is still seeking his first signing as the new Manchester United manager and is reportedly determined to bring in the right-winger, who scored 12 times and provided 10 assists in his 32 appearances for the Amsterdam giants last term.
While Manchester United are determined to bring the highly-rated forward into Old Trafford this summer, Romano has claimed that the two clubs have a very different idea of how much the 22-year-old is currently worth.
Speaking to Wett Freunde, the Italian journalist claimed:
"Man United have had initial talks with Ajax about Antony. We know the connection between Ajax and Erik ten Hag is very strong. If Antony is Antony today, it is thanks to Erik ten Hag. They did a great job together and that's why the connection is great."
"It is now important for Man United to understand the price situation, because Ajax have already lost a lot of important players this summer - Mazraoui, Gravenberch, Haller. So they have no intention of selling other stars. So it must be a really crazy offer for Antony."
"If you see Man United offers of €40-45m at Ajax then it's absolutely not enough to sign Antony this summer. They want a lot more than that. More than 50, maybe even more than 55. As far as I know, I'm not even sure if they would accept 60 million euros. So it will be a very tough negotiation for Man United but in the end they will have to do something."
Fabrizio Romano claims Liverpool were interested in signing Manchester United target Antony before they secured Darwin Nunez
Romano further claimed that Manchester United's Ten Hag has maintained a good relationship with the Brazilian international, saying:
"He's a player the manager appreciates and I'd say he's something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. Negotiations aren't very far along at the moment, but it sure is a name they're considering. And I think it would be great, because a lot of top clubs have been working on this player in recent months - including Liverpool before deciding to sign Darwin Nunez."
"Liverpool have thought about him. He was a player on their roster for a long time. Of course, that won't happen this summer. They are happy with Darwin and Fabio Carvalho."