Ajax identify potential replacement for Manchester United target Antony | OneFootball

Ajax are looking at Porto winger Francisco Conceicao as a possible replacement for Antony, reports Dutch outlet De Telegraaf.

The teenager, who is the son of Porto manager Sergio Conceicao, earned his first professional contract in August 2020. After making 20 appearances for Porto B, he was given his debut in the first team.

Since then, the right-winger has made an impression at the Dragons. Last season, he averaged a goal contribution every 118 minutes in the league, and there is hope that he could become a special player in the future. He has even drawn some comparisons to Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.

His performances have begun to attract some attention from across Europe. According to De Telegraaf, Ajax are eyeing up a move for Conceicao as a replacement for Brazilian winger Antony.

The 22-year-old came to the Johan Cruyff Arena in 2020, signing from Sao Paulo. He has since become a key figure at the Eredivisie giants; in 55 league appearances, he has scored 17 goals and assisted a further 12. Additionally, only three players set up more goals in last season’s Champions League.

This summer, Antony has been the subject of interest from Manchester United. New manager Erik ten Hag is hoping to seal a reunion with the Brazil international, given his lack of top-class options in the right-wing position.

Last week, it was reported that the Red Devils had submitted a bid for the winger, believed to be around £51 million. However, the same report states that Ajax are holding out for a much larger fee of around £68m.

Man Utd will be eager to resolve their issues out wide soon. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford both suffered underwhelming campaigns last year, while Anthony Elanga is still far from the finished article. They will need new recruits if they wish to improve on last term’s struggles.

So far, their only signing of the transfer window has been Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord. Deals for Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez are rumoured to be close to completion, while Brian Brobbey and Victor Osimhen have been linked.