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Manchester United have agreed an £85m deal for Ajax winger ,Anthony, which will make the Brazilian the most expensive signing from the Dutch Eredivisie league.
United will pay a guaranteed £80.75m and another £4.25m in add-ons for the 22-year-old, who is expected in Manchester on Monday, August 29 to have a medical.
The Old Trafford club have been chasing Anthony for several weeks and saw a £67.9m (€80m) offer rebuffed by the club earlier this week before they gave a new offer of £85m(€99m) on Friday, August 26 which was accepted by Ajax
On Friday last week in an interview with Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on YouTube, Antony said:
“Since February of this year, my agents came to Amsterdam to inform Ajax of my desire to leave the club to face a new challenge and that some interested clubs would arrive and, with them, certainly a great offer.
“During the window months, meetings concluded including a proposal from Ajax for contract renewal. I made it clear once again I want to leave the club.
“Today in a meeting with the board I expressed my interest in leaving the club, this time with a considerable offer on the table. Others have already arrived [but] Ajax always refuses with the argument it only has five days to replace (me).
“I’m not asking [for Ajax] to release me, I am asking Ajax to sell me as the highest bid received by a player who plays in the Eredivisie.”
The move to United will see Antony reunited with ex-Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, who has already recruited defender Lisandro Martinez from his former club.
“I was very happy in Amsterdam, I won titles at Ajax, made friends and built part of my career, but now I reinforce that I am ready and full of motivation to follow my story and my dreams,” Antony added.
“People need to listen to me and understand that my motivation moves me towards happiness. I need this to continue performing at a high level. Ajax will always be in my heart.”
