– Loves the limelight and has the mentality to handle it

Brazilian Antony (22) has been increasingly linked with Manchester United, who are said to be willing to spend nearly a billion on the Ajax star.

CELEBRATION OF DESTINATION: Ajax winger Antony celebrated his goal with a 2-1 scoreline against Groningen on 14 August this year.

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– Some hide, but he is the type who likes attention. And if there’s one place you get your attention, it’s at United – for better or for worse. Antony loves the limelight and he has the mentality to handle it, says Viaplay commentator Paul Thomas Clay, who follows Dutch football closely.

based on Athletics United are confident of getting Antony before the transfer window closes on September 1. United’s offer of 80 million euros is said to have been rejected, while it is now claimed that 94 million euros – roughly NOK 900 million – is an amount that both parties could possibly accept.

The 22-year-old dribbler is said to have decided to reunite with United manager Erik ten Hag. based on De Telegraaf he has told Ajax he wants to leave, and Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano has reported that there is already an agreement on a five-year contract.

– First and foremost, he is a facilitator. He creates an imbalance, and can beat two or three people with the same trick, says Paul Thomas Clay – who can present video evidence of that claim:

Antony Matheus dos Santos, known as Antony, played in the São Paulo system from the age of 10, before playing for Ajax the day before his 20th birthday.

Already at the age of 19, he published a book, a kind of autobiography about overcoming the pressures of being a young and talented footballer in Brazil.

– He may look like a party boy, but he’s smart. He was aware of his role and place, and he knew that Ajax couldn’t turn down an offer of around a billion, Clay said.

Antony was undoubtedly an artist at Ajax, where he has done the most in two seasons: Two league championships, one cup title and good performances in Europe. He is best with his left foot, but plays on the right. The 22-year-old has nine caps and two goals for Brazil.

– Type, if you can call it that. He is a man with a lot of emotions and “attitude”. Some have a professional distance from football, but for him it means a little extra.

Here he wreaks havoc with Groningen in the second half:

– Did United need Antony when they already had Sancho?

– In my eyes, Antony is more creative and unpredictable. He may have deeper valleys, but he definitely has higher peaks. He does unexpected things more often than Sancho.

PS! United have also been linked with another winger in the Netherlands, PSV’s Cody Gakpo. – I’m very relaxed about it. There have been rumors about him for eight weeks and we haven’t seen him change, PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy recently stated at a press conference.

ANTONY-JUBEL: Ajax players celebrate a goal against Feyenoord in March.

Henrietta Fairbank

"Amateur analyst. Zombie geek. Hardcore troublemaker. Internet expert. Incurable twitter fanatic."

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