Antony has been revealed as a new Manchester United signing, joining the Premier League club for a fee of £85 million.
Antony was one of Erik ten Hag’s priority targets in the manager’s premiere transfer window, and after several bids were rejected, Ajax finally accepted United’s fourth offer for the player.
Antony grew up in Sao Paulo, and played for their football team.
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Speaking to BBC Sport, former Sao Paulo executive director Alexandre Passaro told the story of a decision that Antony made that changed the course of his career.
During the early months of 2019, Antony had been training with Sao Paulo’s first team for a few months, but when it came to the selection of a squad for Sao Paulo’s US pre-season tour, Antony requested to the board that he not go and instead to send him back to the U20 team for the ‘Copa Sao Paulo’, Brazil's number one youth competition.
Antony would go on to score four goals and provide six assists during the tournament, in which the Sao Paulo youth team emerged victorious.
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"That was a turning point for him," Passaro described.
"Unlike other kids that refused to go back to the youth side and saw it as a demerit, he accepted it right away, even if it meant missing out on a trip that most of the players were looking forward to.”
Speaking further on the player, Passaro was full of praise for the now 22-year-old, describing him as “humble”.
"He has always been a very humble lad and didn't care about that (going back to the youth team), only about how he could improve his performances.
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“He would shine that season and become the player that we all admire now.”
Antony would then go on to play for Sao Paulo’s first team, and eventually secured himself a transfer to Ajax for a fee of just under £14 million.
After the Copa Sao Paulo tournament, Passaro explained the interest Ajax started expressing in the player.
"Soon, Ajax were asking about him. They had offered €3m for him in 2018 and were willing to pay much more to take him to Amsterdam this time.
“We would end up selling him in the beginning of 2020, but making sure that we included a 20 per cent profit clause because we knew he would reach a high level."
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And just over two years later, Sao Paulo’s clause has come into brilliant effect as Antony completes his Manchester United move.
Sao Paulo are expected to receive €19.7 million as a result of this move, and it is one reason why Ajax drove such a hard bargain with regards to the Brazilian’s fee.
Although it is unlikely that Antony will be able to make his debut against Leicester City, there is little doubt that United fans will be able to see their new signing in action for the first time when the club face Arsenal on Sunday.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Antony, Erik Ten Hag, Brazil