Antony misses the first day of Ajax’s preseason training due to Manchester United interest.
On the first day of Ajax’s pre-season training, Man United target Antony was nowhere to be found.
Manchester United target Antony was missing from Ajax’s first day of pre-season training on Friday, fueling rumors over his future in Amsterdam.
Alfred Schreuder, who replaced Erik ten Hag at the Johan Cruyff Arena last month, took charge for the first time as he gets to know his players and implements his attitude and techniques. It is the first time Ajax has had a different manager since Ten Hag took over in December 2017.
However, despite the presence of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, Juventus loanee Mohamed Ihattaren, and others, Antony was not present. The winger was not seen taking part in any of the drills. Jurrien Timber was also absent, although he was not anticipated to return on Friday because he had been granted an extended sabbatical after playing in the Netherlands’ Nations League games earlier in June.
However, Antony was not included in Brazil’s squad for their recent June internationals, having failed to win a call-up, implying that an extended vacation due to international duties could not have been the reason for his absence. Ajax has not revealed why he was absent from Schreuder’s first training session, fueling speculation about his immediate future as links to a move to Old Trafford continue to build.
United have picked the 22-year-old as the best alternative to enhance their right-wing options and fix a problem position them in recent years. Despite his absence from the first day of preseason, Schreuder addressed Antony’s future.
“We obviously want to keep the boy,” Schreuder told ESPN. “He’s under contract until 2025, but I’m not interested in individual players. I’m interested in joining the squad and working with him. He is aware of this, as is the club.”
