Antony's agent has mysteriously deleted an Instagram post that showed the Manchester United target watching the club's 2-1 win over Liverpool on Monday night.
Erik ten Hag is desperate to reunite with Antony at Old Trafford after the Brazilian winger starred under the Dutchman in Amsterdam. The Ajax forward netted 12 goals and 10 assists in all competitions last term and fits the bill for United, who are in the market for attacking reinforcements.
Although the Dutch giants are determined to hang onto Antony, the 22-year-old is sold on the idea of working with Ten Hag in the Premier League and is angling for the move - and his brother and agent dropped a major hint that a deal could be close when he shared a snap of the duo watching United's match against the Reds on Instagram.
However, the post was deleted less than 24 hours later, with Antony's future still uncertain. Ajax are determined not to lose another high-profile star to Ten Hag after Manchester United managed to prise Lisandro Martinez away from them in a big-money deal earlier this summer.
The Dutch giants have recently rebuffed a £67.9million bid from United and are not inclined to sell after raking in around £56m from the sale of Martinez.
But Ten Hag and United are expected to return with an improved bid before the transfer deadline on September 1 - and Antony is applying pressure on the Ajax hierarchy to sanction a move after making it clear that he wishes to quit the club.
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Antony missed Ajax's win over Sparta Rotterdam at the weekend after refusing to train in a bid to force through a move to Old Trafford, and a fresh report has claimed that he has already agreed personal terms on a bumper five-year deal with United.
If United can make a breakthrough in negotiations for Antony, it would cap a remarkable few days for Ten Hag, who saw his side finally get off the mark for the season in style with a statement win against their arch-rivals.
The huge result, which will bring Ten Hag some much-needed respite after a torrid start to his Old Trafford tenure, comes in the wake of the £60million capture of Casemiro, who will significantly improve Manchester United's malfunctioning midfield.
And after finally landing the elite defensive midfielder he has craved all summer, Ten Hag hinted that he was hoping to make more breakthroughs in the market over the next fortnight.
"You can never tell," Ten Hag told Sky Sports when asked about future incomings after Monday night's match. "We said from the beginning we wanted to bring the right players in and not just any players.
"I think now we have the right player [in new signing Casemiro], I'm sure of that. The window is not closed. You need numbers but not only numbers, you need quality. We gave so much and I think when you bring it on the pitch you will get stronger, physically [and] mentally. If you bring it every three days you need numbers and quality numbers."
