Ajax forward Antony has been told to stop "behaving like an idiot" if he wants a move to the Premier League. The Brazilian, 22, has been linked with several top European sides - including Liverpool and Barcelona - thanks to his form in the Netherlands.
The 22-year-old has scored 12 goals in all club competitions this season, hitting a late winner in Ajax's crucial 3-2 victory against rivals Feyenoord on Sunday afternoon. The result saw the Amsterdam outfit maintain their two-point lead at the top of the Eredivisie.
But Antony was later sent off after picking up two needless yellow cards. The first was awarded for taking his shirt off after his goal, while the second was for timewasting - a bizarre incident that saw Antony thrown to the ground by his captain Dusan Tadic.
Former Netherlands international Rene van der Gijp was not impressed with Antony's theatrics. "Suppose we are in the stands together as a scout for Manchester City or Liverpool and we are looking at Antony," noted the ex-winger.
"What do you think we would say when we come back on Monday? We will not take that. You don’t see a Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane or Mohamed Salah doing this? Then you can say: he is young, but it can also get crazier."
Fellow retired ace Wim Kieft, who started his career at Ajax, added: “He is not that young anymore, because he has been doing this for two years.
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"Such a boy cannot be calmed by a coach, in the end. [Erik] ten Hag will of course never say that Antony behaves like an idiot, but he thinks so. In general, this behaviour is addressed in the locker room, then someone says, 'Hey, what are you doing?'"
Ajax manager Ten Hag is a fan of Antony and expects the youngster to leave the club in the near future. "You don’t know how the market is developing," said Ten Hag - who's been interviewed for the vacant position at Manchester United - last November.
"There is also an economic component. In the Netherlands we are going into lockdown again. What kind of economic consequences does that have? You depend on that, but from a sporting point of view, it is clear that he is an incredible talent.
"He is going through an incredibly beautiful development. Especially if we perform in the Champions League, then it is clear that he will come into the spotlight and be interesting for a lot of clubs."
According to Brazilian outlet UOL Sport, Barcelona veteran Dani Alves has recommended Antony to his current employers. Ajax's asking price is believed to be €40million - around £33m - and Liverpool are willing to match that fee.
The Reds could be on the hunt for fresh talent this summer, with Mohamed Salah's future unclear. The Egyptian, 29, has just 15 months remaining on his existing deal and renewal talks have stalled. Fellow forward Luis Diaz was signed from Porto in January.
