Manchester United remain on the hunt for a forward this summer regardless of the future of veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo, but are struggling to find the right options for their frontline, having been dealt a further two blows.
The Red Devils have been chasing Ajax forward Antony for much of the summer, but the Dutch sides’ valuation has put off Erik ten Hag from recruiting his former side. They have seen two bids turned down for the Brazilian forward, with Ajax thought to be holding out for a fee in excess of £70m.
Ten Hag’s former club have already banked over 100m euros this summer through the sales of Lisandro Martinez, Ryan Gravenberch and Sebastien Haller, and have no reason to lose a sixth member of their squad on the cheap this summer.
As a result, any potential deal will not be forthcoming this summer unless a dramatic u-turn is made by the Dutch outfit, leaving Manchester United without one of their key targets.
A move for Antony “completely off the agenda” for Manchester United – UNLESS Ajax asking price came down significantly. United interested in Benjamin Sesko – among others – but RB Salzburg reluctant to sell & valuation very high. #Antony #Sesko #MUFC
— Dharmesh Sheth (@skysports_sheth) August 1, 2022
Sesko to set them back
Meanwhile, Manchester United are also among the clubs keen on RB Salzburg sensation Benjamin Sesko, who netted the winner against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly last week.
However, Salzburg are unwilling to sell their star man this summer, and are well aware that the Slovenian’s value will only continue to rise now that he has caught the eye of Europe’s elite this season.
Of course, much of what Manchester United are forced to do this summer depends on the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has returned to action for the Red Devils but is still reportedly desperate to depart this summer in search of Champions League football.
Were he to do so, the need for a striker at Old Trafford would only increase.
