<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/manchester-united/" target="_blank">Manchester United</a> have announced that they have reached an agreement to sign winger Antony from Dutch side Ajax. The Premier League side are set to pay an initial fee of £81.3 million for the 22 year old Brazilian, subject to a medical, personal terms being finalised and international clearance. The deal could potentially rise to more than £86m after add-ons. It makes Antony United's second most expensive signing of all time, taking him ahead of £80m Harry Maguire and behind only the £89m record paid out for Paul Pogba. He becomes new manager Eric ten Hag's fifth signing of the summer after <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/07/05/tyrell-malacia-completes-move-to-manchester-united-to-become-erik-ten-hags-first-signing/" target="_blank">Tyrell Malacia</a>, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/07/15/christian-eriksen-signs-for-manchester-united/" target="_blank">Christian Eriksen</a>, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/07/27/manchester-united-complete-signing-of-outstanding-lisandro-martinez-from-ajax/" target="_blank">Lisandro Martinez</a> – who played under Ten Hag at Ajax alongside Antony – and <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/08/23/bodyguard-casemiro-joins-man-united-for-a-challenge-unlikely-to-reap-as-many-rewards/" target="_blank">Casemiro</a>, taking the Old Trafford club's summer spending to more than £200m. Antony registered 24 goals and provided 22 assists in 82 appearances for Ajax, as well as two goals in nine senior appearances for Brazil. He has won two Eredivisie titles with Ten Hag at Ajax, and a gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics. The announcement comes as the future of forward Cristiano Ronaldo continues to remain in doubt, with the Portugal veteran reportedly seeking to leave Old Trafford before the transfer window closes after the team's failure to qualify for the Champions League. United owners the Glazer family have come in for fierce criticism in recent years from United fans unhappy at the club's direction after almost a decade of underachievement. The anger was again reaching fever pitch after United lost their opening two games of the Premier League season, although they have since recovered to record two wins on the spin. United are eighth in the table with six points from four games and travel to bottom side Leicester City on Thursday.
