There are a number of obstacles preventing Manchester United from making a concerted effort to sign Ajax winger Antony, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian journalist claims that the future of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ajax’s stance on selling another key player to the Red Devils could prove pivotal in talks:

“United’s interest in Antony also still largely depends on what happens with Cristiano Ronaldo. They plan to keep the Portuguese forward – Ten Hag still rates him as a world-class player and wants to build around him – but they will see how the situation evolves before deciding whether or not to step up their efforts to sign Antony. Ajax and United have a strong relationship, but the Martinez sale puts the Dutch side in a strong negotiating position because I’m not sure they’ll be happy to lose their manager and two star players to Old Trafford in one summer.”

With Chelsea having decided against signing Ronaldo, and the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain also ruling themselves out of the race for the 37-year-old’s signature, it looks more likely that the forward will remain at the club.

Strengthening the frontline is not a priority if Ronaldo stays, and, as Romano also points out, it’s likely that Ajax would make things very difficult in negotiations for Antony.

It has been widely reported that the Eredivisie champions could hold out for as much as €80m (£68m) for the Brazilian so the chances of a transfer happening this summer are pretty low.