Ajax star Antony looks set to complete his move to Manchester United in the coming days as Erik ten Hag continues to build his squad at Old Trafford.
United have agreed a deal with the Dutch champions which will see the Premier League club pay an initial fee of £80.75m for the winger, with a further £4.25m in add-ons, according to the BBC.
The Brazil international is set to become United's joint-second most expensive signing, alongside defender Harry Maguire, with Paul Pogba's £89m transfer from Juventus in 2016 still remaining the club record.
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Antony will be United's fifth signing of the summer transfer window, following the arrival of his former Ajax teammate Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro from Real Madrid, Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord and Christian Eriksen on a free transfer.
The 22-year-old has scored 25 goals and provided 22 assists in 82 appearances for Ajax since joining the Dutch side from Sao Paulo in 2020, and his imminent arrival at Old Trafford is set to be a major boost for United in the closing days of the summer transfer window.
It could also add an extra edge to United's games against bitter rivals Liverpool.
In February this year, Antony clashed with Liverpool's new striker Darwin Nunez in a Champions League last-16 first leg tie between Benfica and Ajax.
The pair squared up after tussling for the ball during the second half in Lisbon, with the match level at 2-2.
Antony thrust his head towards Nunez, prompting the Uruguayan to theatrically fall to the floor.
The Brazilian was lucky to escape with just a yellow card from the incident. Check it out below.
Antony will count himself VERY lucky not to be suspended for the second leg! 😳
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 23, 2022
The winger escaped a red card as he directed his head towards Darwin Núñez in the final minutes of Ajax's 2-2 draw with Benfica...#UCL pic.twitter.com/NtZARIGhSO
The match would go on to finish 2-2, with the second leg in the Netherlands ending in a narrow 1-0 win for Benfica.
But the Portuguese side would be eliminated from the competition at the quarter-final stage, losing to Nunez's future club Liverpool 6-4 on aggregate.
Nunez's home debut for the Reds ended in disaster when he was sent off in a remarkably similar incident against Crystal Palace earlier this month.
The Uruguay international was shown a straight red card for headbutting Palace defender Joachim Andersen in the 1-1 draw at Anfield.
Should Antony complete his move to United as expected, he could renew his rivalry with Nunez when the Red Devils travel to face Liverpool later in the season, on March 23.
Featured Image Credit: BT Sport
Topics: Manchester United, Liverpool, Antony, Darwin Nunez, Ajax, Benfica, Champions League, Football, Premier League
