"The transfer is 90% complete" - Pedro Almeida says Manchester United are pushing to sign Brazilian star

Erik ten Hag is aiming to rebuild his squad this season.

Manchester United are interested in acquiring the services of Ajax winger Antony and journalist Pedro Almeida has indicated that the transfer is on its way towards completion.

With Erik ten Hag at the helm at Old Trafford, the newly-appointed head coach wants to bolster his squad by luring his former player Antony. Although no official bid has been made yet to Ajax, Pedro Almeida claims that "the transfer is 90% complete".

According to Almeida, Manchester United are "seriously pushing" Ajax to sign the 22-year-old attacker, who has already informed the Eredivisie club that his preferred destination is Manchester.

Since joining Ajax from Sao Paulo in 2020, Antony has grown by leaps and bounds under the tutelage of the 52-year-old ten Hag. He made 33 appearances last season and registered 12 goals and 10 assists across all competitions.

Manchester United have genuine interest in Antony, of course Erik ten Hag knows him so well - still no bid, just internal discussions. 🇧🇷 #MUFC

…but Emerson Santos [he’s Antony’s brother, not agent] has not made any interview speaking of Man United. He denies - ‘fake news’. https://t.co/DxAjSIqXud

The Brazilian's breakthrough form led to him receiving an international call-up and since then, he has earned nine caps.

Earlier, the Red Devils were in the race to sign Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez, but the player joined Liverpool in a deal worth up to £85 million on Tuesday. The 20-time league winners will now hope to rope in Antony before the end of the summer transfer window.

🇪🇺 Antony played a direct hand in as many goals as Darwin Nunez in the Champions League last season (both 6) https://t.co/fJwzRZ9A48

Meanwhile, as per a report by The Sun, Antony has met with his agent and entourage in Amsterdam after Manchester United reportedly launched a £38.4 million bid.

If the deal does go through, the Ajax winger's arrival at the Premier League club will add quality and competition to their ranks. United already have three quality wide men in Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga.

Manchester United keen on signing a midfielder

With club-record signing Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata already set to leave the club, Manchester United are in dire need of midfield reinforcements. Hence, Erik ten Hag has prioritised the signing of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has reportedly agreed to make a move to Old Trafford.

If the move for De Jong fails to gain traction, the Red Devils are in contention to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves to strengthen their midfield depth.

United finished sixth in the Premier League table in the 2021/22 season with 58 points and ended the season trophyless. The Red Devils will look to bounce back from what was one of their worst seasons since the formation of the Premier League in 1992.