A detail in Antony's contract at Ajax has been revealed and it helps explain why the Eredivisie club have demanded so much money from Manchester United for the player.
The Brazilian forward has been desperate for a move to Old Trafford all summer and it seems like he has finally got that.
After Fabrizio Romano broke the news, various outlets have reported that a deal in principle has been made between United and Ajax for the transfer of the player.
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That deal will come to a total of €100 million. The Athletic revealed that only €5 million of that total will be in add-ons.
An astronomical amount of money for a player unproven in the Premier League, but there are reasons why Ajax were such a hard bargain.
Firstly, he was one of their key players last term under Ten Hag.
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Antony contributed to 12 goals and 10 assists throughout the campaign and excited in their Champions League fixtures.
Another aspect is due to the fact that the Amsterdam-based club have already sold many of their top players this summer.
Lisandro Martinez is already at United and was awarded Ajax's Player of the Year trophy last term.
Ryan Gravenberch was also key to their success. He left the club for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
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With just days left in the transfer window, it also would be difficult for Ajax to recruit a replacement.
However, a fourth reason behind the price tag is not known by many, but it makes it clear why Ajax wanted so much for the winger.
During his move to the club in 2020, Ajax agreed with São Paulo, his previous club, that they would have 20% of any future sale of the 22-year-old and a further 2.7% due to the solidarity mechanism as a training club.
This means that the Brazilian club will receive €19.7 million for their former player in this move.
Despite the large amount that the club will receive from the transfer, Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder is far from happy with the deal taking place.
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Following his team's win at the weekend, Schreuder argued that finances are taking over the game and that he does not agree with selling the player.
"Nowadays, everything is about money. I find this sad, but this is our world," he told ESPN.
"It's very sad and I don't approve that these things are happening at us."
Topics: Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Ajax, Antony, Erik Ten Hag, Premier League, Football
Cain Smith