Ajax winger Antony was not present for his team’s training session on Saturday, 90min understands, with Manchester United still pursuing his signature.
The Brazil international missed Friday’s session as well in the wake of a failed £68m bid from United, who are determined to reunite Antony with his former manager Erik ten Hag.
Ajax are holding out for a fee of £78m and 90min has learned that the Eredivisie side are expecting an improved offer from United. Ten Hag has been clear all summer that Antony is his preferred transfer target and, with his side struggling in the Premier League, he has once again urged those in charge to get a deal over the line.
With all this going on in the background, Antony missed his second consecutive training session on Saturday.
The 22-year-old is understood to be keen to link back up with Ten Hag this summer and has publicly confessed to Ajax supporters that he cannot promise he will still be at the club beyond the end of the transfer window.
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With his departure becoming more and more likely, Ajax are looking for possible alternatives for Antony and sources have confirmed that Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech has emerged as a potential target.
The Morocco international is free to leave Stamford Bridge this summer and has attracted significant interest from AC Milan, but now Ajax are interested in giving Ziyech the chance to return to the club, with whom he impressed between 2016 and 2020.
Meanwhile, United are busy looking at their own attacking targets and the understanding is that there are plans to bring in more than one new signing.
Club officials are monitoring the situations of both PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo and Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, with United ready to push ahead with at least one further deal even if they get the signing of Antony over the line.