Liverpool are on the lookout for attacking options and are chasing Manchester United winger target Antony, according to a report.
Jurgen Klopp has added to his attacking options with the signing Darwin Nunez for a club-record £85m fee. The Uruguay striker has signed a six-year contract and will fight for a first-team place this season.
Klopp already landed Luis Diaz in January to further complement his forward options. But Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino have all left Anfield.
The Kop boss could also use Fabio Carvalho in a more advanced role, but the club’s recruitment department remain attentive to options. and Football Insider report that Liverpool have inquired about 22-year-old Antony.
The report claims Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward holds an interest in the Brazilian. In fact the highly-rated Ajax star “features prominently on their list of attacking targets.”
Have Hag to make another Ajax raid?
The Dutch giants value Antony at around £60m and that fee is apparently too high for Liverpool.
Manchester United are in a similar boat. They also are reluctant to pay the asking price for a man Erik ten Hag knows well.
The Dutch boss has already lured Lisandro Martinez from Ajax and Antony is on his radar too.
However, United’s move for Antony will only be triggered if Cristiano Ronaldo departs. Fabrizio Romano claims United are waiting to discover what the future holds for Ronaldo, who has asked to leave Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has publicly stated the 37-year-old remains in his plans and he wants him to stay.
The Portugal star has not yet reported back for pre-season and missed United’s tour of Asia and Australia. It’s understood the veteran is steadfast in his desire to quit United.
It means that Ten Hag will have to make a big decision in the coming weeks surrounding Ronaldo’s future. If he does allow the player to depart he will want enough time to find a replacement. And that player looks likely to be Antony.
Antony has ‘respect’ for Ten Hag
The respect between the pair is understood to be mutual. Antony hailed Ten Hag back in February.
“Erik ten Hag is an incredible manager, with lots of eye for detail. The team is the most important to him, but every player becomes better due to his training sessions. Since my arrival he gave me so much confidence, I am thankful for that and I respect him a lot,” said the wideman.
Antony, joined Ajax from Sao Paolo in 2020 for a fee of around £14m. His 78 appearances by him have yielded 22 goals and 20 assists leading to interest from the Premier League.
It had been widely reported that United would make a move for the player as far back as April. But their indecision due to Ronaldo’s future appears to have left the door ajar.
Liverpool have been quick to make their move for Antony, who missed the final six weeks of the season with an ankle problem.
He has been undertaking a rehabilitation program at Ajax and both clubs could be waiting to see if the player has fully revovered.
.