Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been handed a massive transfer boost after Ajax confirmed the signing of their long-term successor for Antony.
The Dutch giants will complete the signing of Francisco Conceicao from Porto who plays in a similar position to the Brazilian forward. Ten Hag wants Antony in his ideal XI at Old Trafford and the Brazilian forward wants to be reunited with his former coach having put pressure on Ajax to consider allowing him to join the Red Devils in this summer window.
Antony – the Dutch side’s star player last season – is hopeful of rekindling his strong relationship with Ten Hag amid reports that the player's representatives recently travelled to Europe in order to help negotiate a deal this window.
Right-sided attacker Conceicao will join the Dutch giants in the wake of the club also completing the signing of forward Steven Bergwijn from Tottenham. Those two players occupy similar attacking positions to Antony, which could help facilitate his move to United this summer. All three are right-sided attacking players.
Conceicao, 19, enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Porto last campaign and the Under-21 international star – the son of the Portuguese club’s boss Sergio Conceicao – is now poised to make the switch to the Eredivisie.
Ajax technical manager Gerry Hamstra has now confirmed that the signing of the Portuguese teen is with more than just an eye on the future. He refused to entirely rule out the exit of Antony and confessed that his long-term succession plan was already in place.
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"On the one hand, you want to have immediately deployable players if you lose Champions League-worthy players," Hamstra told Het Parool. "But at Ajax, we also continue to think about the long term. How fast that happens depends on several factors.
"I can imagine that that goes a little faster with a Portuguese or European than with a boy from South America. So, Conceicao is another example of bringing the successor, in this case, Antony, into your selection.
"We now want to keep this group together. I assume that no one leaves this core anymore. Of course, you can never say never, I’ve learned that by now."
The signing of Bergwijn fitted a similar profile to Antony, although the Dutch international ace operates in a more central position than his new teammate. Conceicao predominantly played a right-sided midfield role at Porto but was utilised in a more advanced position at youth-team level for club and country.
Antony played 33 games last season for the Dutch giants, where he scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists before missing the final segment of the campaign through injury. He also played nine games in the South American Qualifiers for the World Cup for the Brazilian national team and scored two goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo wanting to leave United just one year after his return to Old Trafford and the 37-year-old is the only player who has not reported to the club's pre-season training this month due to 'family reasons'. That follows on from Edinson Cavani being among a glut of first-team exits from the club this summer – hastening the need to bring in a new forward.
