Antony might just go on to become the signing of the summer at Manchester United despite them splashing out £86million for his services.
The Brazilian signed for the Red Devils on Deadline Day with Erik ten Hag desperate to be reunited with the winger. The Dutchman knows the player well from his time at Ajax.
And Antony went straight into the starting line-up just days later when United took on Arsenal – and it paid off. The 22-year-old made an immediate impact, scoring the opener in a 3-1 win for the Red Devils.
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But it could have been all different had former Chelsea scout Piet de Visser got his way. The Belgian was hot on his trail in Brazil and competed with Ajax for his signature, eventually losing out.
“Together with Hans van der Zee [former Ajax head scout] we saw him for the first time at Brazil’s youth ranks and we were both charmed by him, said De Visser, speaking to Voetbal Nieuws.
“We couldn’t get him, I would have wanted him. He’s a boy with poison in his backside. He sometimes crosses the line, but he comes from the favela, doesn’t he?”
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Antony had played for Sao Paulo in Brazil, where he first developed his technical skills as a sublime dribbler and utilised his penchant for the unthinkable. Then Ajax came and he enhanced his tactical level of the game, growing under Ten Hag.
The new United manager made him a top target after signing for the Red Devils but it took the club until Deadline Day in the summer to clinch a deal with Ajax. But the Brazil international has already proved that he could be a huge player in the Premier League, much to Chelsea's disdain.
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