Manchester United could potentially send Anthony Elanga out on loan should they seal a big-money move for Ajax star Antony.
The Red Devils have been chasing the Brazilian hard throughout the final weeks of the transfer window, with Erik ten Hag keen to add to his forward options at Old Trafford. His former Ajax forward Antony has been seen as an ideal candidate following his sparkling performances for the Dutch giants.
However, a deal has been tricky to conclude with Ajax apparently holding out for €100m (£84.5m). The two clubs remain in discussions regarding a move and it remains to be seen if an agreement can be reached over the next few days as United attempt to spend even more during their summer splurge under their new boss.
Antony has seemingly been doing all he can to force through a move having missed first-team training - as well as the clash with Sparta Rotterdam last weekend. He was also spotted watching the Red Devils’ encapsulating victory over Liverpool on Monday.
In the event that the Brazilian winger becomes a Man Utd player, Ten Hag has reportedly planned to send out one of his current first-team stars on-loan to make some room in his squad. As per the Daily Mail, academy graduate Elanga is among the candidates to leave the club.
The 20-year-old has made three appearances for the Red Devils this season - his only start coming in the recent victory over Liverpool but despite having assisted Jadon Sancho’s opening goal, he was substituted at half-time.
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That took the young Swede’s total first-team outings to 26 in all competitions having been handed his debut by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during the 2020/21 season.
It remains unlikely that the Red Devils would sanction a permanent exit with Elanga’s Old Trafford contract set to run until 2026 but a loan spell could be a viable option with Everton reportedly interested in completing a deal.
Away from Elanga, Ten Hag has already attempted to reduce the size of his squad this summer with a number of loan deals. Dean Henderson, Alex Telles and Eric Bailly have all departed the club throughout the window.
The former pair have joined Nottingham Forest and Sevilla respectively, whilst the Ivorian’s switch to Ligue 1 outfit Marseille was confirmed earlier this week. The defender could be set for a permanent exit with performance clauses written into the deal activating a compulsory €6million (£5million) purchase.
Away from that, there could be even more departures between now and the end of the window. Axel Tuanzebe, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, James Garner and Amad Diallo have all been linked with exits - both on loan and permanent deals.
