Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has dismissed reports that Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Ajax winger Antony.

It was suggested that the Red Devils would only have to pay £40m for the Brazilian international but, speaking to Wettfreunde, Romano said Ajax may not even accept a bid in the region of €60m (£51.6m):

“It must be a really crazy offer for Antony. If you see Man United offers of €40-45m at Ajax then it’s absolutely not enough to sign Antony this summer. They want a lot more than that. More than 50, maybe even more than 55. As far as I know, I’m not even sure if they would accept 60 million euros.”

“So it will be a very tough negotiation for Man United but in the end, they will have to do something. He’s a player the manager appreciates and I’d say he’s something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. Negotiations aren’t very far along at the moment, but it sure is a name they’re considering.”

It appears that signing both Antony and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong this summer may end up being very expensive for United. With Barca reportedly holding out for around €85m (£73m), the combined cost of the two transfers alone could get close to £125m.

Considering the Red Devils are thought to have a limited transfer budget, that could prove to be seriously problematic if they want to secure Erik ten Hag’s other transfer targets.

Signing a new centre-back, as well as a striker, are also thought to be on the Dutchman’s agenda, so we shall have to wait and see whether they can drive down the asking prices for both de Jong and Antony. While they are not expected to have any competition for the former, both Liverpool and Chelsea have scouted Antony previously so they may not have as much room in negotiations to secure the Ajax star’s services.