Ajax defender Jurrien Timber has admitted that he has not spoken to teammate Antony about Manchester United's ongoing interest in the Brazilian attacker.
United, who will be looking to build on their 2-1 win over Liverpool when they travel to St Mary's to face Southampton on Saturday, are determined to strengthen their attacking options ahead of next Thursday evening's 11pm transfer deadline and have pinpointed Antony as their top target. He has long since been identified by United manager Erik ten Hag as his preferred choice to strengthen the Reds' right-wing options.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News on Wednesday, United are preparing a fresh bid to try and bring the 22-year-old to Old Trafford before the window slams shut. Reports elsewhere have suggested that there is growing confidence a deal will be done.
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Antony played no part in Ajax's 1-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam last Sunday and has not been involved in training for a week, highlighting his attempts to try and push through a move to M16. It is claimed that he, along with his representatives, have been pleading with Ajax to negotiate a deal with United.
But despite Antony's clear hopes of leaving the Johan Cruyff Arena, Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder has continued to insist that he will not be sold. And that is a statement that former United target Timber has agreed with, while admitting that he has not discussed a potential exit with his teammate.
"It's hard to communicate with him because of his lack of English," Timber said. "But I agree with what the manager just said about it."
Timber also admitted that he and his teammates are trying to remain fully focused on their main responsibilities. The Dutchman continued: "Of course the 'Antony saga' plays a role in our squad, but we are trying to focus on the upcoming game."
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