After the Antony deal, the Man Utd board rejected Erik ten Hag’s request for two transfer targets.

After the Antony deal, the Man Utd board rejected Erik ten Hag’s request for two transfer targets

The premium Manchester United paid to secure the deal has had repercussions, but they are set to make Antony their fifth acquisition of the summer transfer window.

Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, will not be permitted to bolster two crucial positions at the organization after receiving support for bringing in Antony from Ajax.

The 22-year-old will join the Premier League team at Old Trafford after a €100 million (£84 million) agreement was reached. Although United may have had to pay more than usual to secure the transfer, Ten Hag can be proud of himself because he made Antony’s arrival his top priority throughout the summer.

After two successful campaigns, the gifted forward has been urging for the change and is desperate to leave Amsterdam. Exclusively revealed by Mirror Football, the Brazilian international had declared a strike at the club to press for a transfer.

Following agreements to sign Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, and Casemiro, Antony will be United’s fifth addition of the summer. Additionally, there is growing optimism that Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will be brought in on an initial loan with a purchase option.

Ten Hag also desired to bolster his squad in two other crucial positions, right back and central midfield, but the club will not permit additional spending this summer due to the exorbitant fee paid to acquire those players.

With the club pursuing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona all summer, Ten Hag wanted to strengthen his right-back position, his central midfield, and his attack. The need for an additional attacker was exacerbated by Cristiano Ronaldo’s uncertain future. The star Portuguese player no longer starts for United and wants to leave Old Trafford.

However, the club’s transfer budget has now been depleted by the last-minute acquisitions of Casemiro, Antony, and Dubravka during this transfer window. According to the Telegraph, this means that Ten Hag’s desire to sign right-back Thomas Meunier from Borussia Dortmund will not be realized.

With the club willing to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Diogo Dalot is Old Trafford’s first-choice right-back. However, there has only been interest in him on a loan or for a fee of £10 million, far less than his £50 million transfer from Crystal Palace in 2019. In either case, any club looking for a second right-back has missed the window of opportunity to make a move for him.

The chance to sign Sergino Dest, a Barcelona fullback, was presented to United. The American international was reportedly a transfer target for United after Ten Hag gave him his professional debut when he broke through at Ajax and then signed with Barca in a £22 million deal in 2020.