Ajax forward Antony is apparently no longer angling for a reunion with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United after their calamitous start to the season.
Antony starred in the Ajax side that clinched a third Dutch title in four years under Ten Hag last term, notching 10 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. Unsurprisingly, the Brazilian winger emerged as a summer target for Ten Hag once it became clear to the Dutchman that his new side were in need of attacking reinforcements.
Despite Ten Hag's desire to strike a deal with his old club, Manchester United were warned against tabling a bid for Antony and it now appears as though their hopes of luring the 22-year-old to Old Trafford are over.
According to De Telegraaf, Antony is believed to 'no longer be an option for Manchester United' and that the forward would now 'think twice' if he was presented with the opportunity to work alongside Ten Hag in England following United's nightmare start to the season.
United are currently rock bottom of the Premier League after starting the new campaign with back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Brentford, who trounced Ten Hag's beleaguered side 4-0 at the weekend. The result means that Ten Hag has made the worst start of any Manchester United manager in over a century.
While United have struggled, Antony has started his campaign with a bang after bagging two goals and two assists in just three games. He was on target in Ajax's thumping 6-1 win over Groningen at the weekend with a superb solo-goal.
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Antony's fresh stance is the latest setback Manchester United have been dealt in the market this week. As a deal for Frenkie de Jong continues to look more and more unlikely, United have also seen their bid to sign Adrien Rabiot collapse due to the Italian's excessive salary demands.
Elsewhere, it's looking likely that United will be priced out of a move for Brighton's Moises Caicedo - just two years after pulling out of a deal to sign the Ecuador starlet for £5million.
Ten Hag is desperate for midfield reinforcements after breaking up the underwhelming partnership of Scott McTominay and Fred but is struggling to source the elite defensive midfielder that he craves.
The United chief will also have to revise his attacking targets, with reports claiming that Ten Hag holds an interest in Antony's international teammate, Matheus Cunha. However, it remains to be seen whether Atletico Madrid have the appetite to cash in on the highly-rated 23-year-old.
