Manchester United identify Antony alternative
Karan Tejwani
- 6 Aug 2022 11:40 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United have identified an alternative for Antony, and it comes in the form of another Eredivisie player that Erik ten Hag appreciates.
The Red Devils have been interested in a move for Ajax’s Brazilian winger, but deem the player to be too expensive as the Dutch champions are demanding around €100 million for the player.
United aren’t willing to pay that, as they hope to bolster multiple areas of the squad, and they’ve moved on to other targets as they wish to buy another attacking player before the end of the window.
They currently have Anthony Martial and Cristiano Ronaldo as forwards, with the former yet to prove his consistency and the latter looking to leave.
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With that in mind, they’ve identified a new target in the form of PSV’s Cody Gakpo, and while he isn’t an out-and-out forward, it give Manchester United more depth to move players around.
Gakpo has been impressive in the Eredivisie and has attracted interest from Europe’s biggest clubs including Arsenal, Juventus and Barcelona in recent years.
He’s also a full Dutch international, and on his current trajectory, he should be on the plane to Qatar for this winter’s World Cup, as Louis van Gaal is an admirer of his talents.
It’s believed that United are willing to pay about £40 million to secure his signature – about half of what Ajax were demanding for Antony – and that has been an appealing idea.
Cody Gakpo vs Ajax
73 minutes
1 goal
2 assists
3 key passes
2 big chances created
2/2 successful dribbles
1 tackle won
1 interception
Simply too good. pic.twitter.com/EO2eo9NJ1P— Football Talent Scout - Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) July 30, 2022
Despite missing the first 12 games of last season, Gakpo ended last season with 21 goals across all competitions, and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year last season.
He also made a strong start to this campaign, tormenting Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Schaal as they beat the Amsterdammers 5-3 in the season’s curtain-raiser.
PSV will only listen to offers from Manchester United once their Champions League future is decided – they’re currently in the qualifying rounds and face Monaco in the third-round play-off.
Should they qualify, there may just be more incentive to keep him at the club, and perhaps wait for a bigger offer in the coming months.
