Manchester United only have themselves to blame over £70 million Antony price tag

Add as preferred source on Google

Ajax have set a staggering £70 million price tag over winger Antony, which threatens to scupper the club’s deal for the winger.

The Times report Antony is determined to join United, but the price tag is a huge stumbling block, with the Red Devils refusing to pay such a high asking price.

GOAL reported United’s top offer was £51 million, which has been rejected. This is infuriating because if United had been quicker off the mark, this deal could have been done and dusted already.

Antony only have themselves to blame, because Ajax’s transfer policy has changed after a handful of early summer sales.

READ MORE: Confirmed Manchester United transfers, ins, outs, loans, releases for 2022/23

United only have themselves to blame

German clubs have led the way this summer in the transfer market, as usual, wrapping up their transfer business early.

Bayern Munich swooped in for Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui, while Borussia Dortmund have signed Sebastien Haller.

This has left Ajax without three regulars in their starting line-up, and more than £50 million better off.

Ajax simply don’t need to sell, and can drive a hard bargain. Lisandro Martinez will cost in excess of £40 million, while Antony is the jewel in their crown, and they want a staggering £70 million.

Even if they are eventually forced to climb down on this stance, if Antony were to try and force a move, this would take all summer, and waste a lot of time in the process.

Strategic blunder by United

Antony was reported as a United target back in February, by Fabrizio Romano via FIVE. So the club have had plenty of time to prepare for the summer.

The problem was, United made a key strategic blunder, to target Frenkie de Jong first, and leave everything else afterwards.

This meant Ajax got their early sales done, and hiked up the price for Antony, while United went back and forth with Barcelona over De Jong.

The De Jong saga is still ongoing without resolution, and only now are United looking at other deals simultaneously, recently signing left-back Tyrell Malacia.

If the De Jong deal eventually gets done, it will be a relief, but the club’s priorities may have cost a deal for Antony this summer. Should the talks with Barcelona break down, the blunder will looks even more disastrous, and United only have themselves to blame.