Manchester United are stepping up their summer transfer business after having bids accepted to sign Dutch duo Frenkie de Jong and Tyrell Malacia.
The Red Devils have agreed an initial fee of £5 6 million with Barcelona for De Jong as United boss Erik ten Hag closes in on a reunion with his former Ajax midfielder. That deal could eventually rise to as high as £70m in add-ons.
Ten Hag’s side have also had a bid accepted to sign left-back Tyrell Malacia from Dutch side Feyenoord, despite the Netherlands international previously being close to a move to French club Olympique Lyonnais. That deal is set to be worth an initial £13m, with the potential of rising up to £15m in add-ons.
With both deals close to being finalised, it is understood that United have already identified their next area to improve, targeting a versatile forward that can play across the front three as an upgrade to Marcus Rashford. Ajax winger Antony is reportedly on the club’s wishlist, although the Dutch giants want £70m for him, with United hoping for a fee closer to £40m.
It is understood that at the start of the summer transfer window, United boss Ten Hag was handed with an initial transfer budget of £120m, but over half of that will have been used up should deals for De Jong and Malacia go through as expected.
The initial fees United are set to pay for them would total £69m, which would leave Ten Hag’s side with £51m left in their £120million budget for the rest of the transfer window.
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If those figures are maintained, United would be well short of the £70m Ajax are demanding in order to part ways with the Brazilian this summer.
It will mean one of three things for United in their pursuit of a new versatile forward this summer. Either, they negotiate a lower fee with Ajax to sign Antony, turn their attentions elsewhere, or hope to cash in on player sales in order to further fund their summer recruitment.
One player who is set to be on his way out of Old Trafford imminently is goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who did not make a single Premier League appearance during the 2021/22 campaign.
Henderson, who has one England cap to his name, is set to move to United’s newest Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal as he attempts to relaunch career ahead of the FIFA World Cup later this year.
United left-back duo Alex Telles and Brandon Williams could also be on their way out of the club with Malacia’s imminent arrival expected soon.
Williams spent last season out on loan at Norwich City and was unable to prevent them from being relegated out of the Premier League, with Telles starting in 18 of United’s 38 league games last term.
