Manchester United held conversations with Lille regarding Antony loan deal | OneFootball

Manchester United put two past Rangers in their second pre-season game on Saturday with Amad Diallo cutting in from the right wing to score the opener.

The Ivorian was on fire and he will be hoping to impress Erik ten Hag enough in the US to earn a starting place once the new season kicks off.

He made quite the impression in the second half of last season, scoring winners against both Liverpool and Newcastle and fans want to see more of the former Atalanta starlet.

He will be competing with Antony for the right-wing spot with the Brazilian hardly setting the stage alight since his £86 million move from Ajax back in September 2022.

Antony’s future

Ten Hag did afford the 24-year-old a lot of chances despite his disastrous displays, often ahead of Amad. The Brazilian struggled in his sophomore season, scoring only twice and the club are reportedly open to his exit this summer, either on loan or permanently.

While it is unlikely that the Red Devils will ever recoup the kind of money they spent to sign the Brazil international, a loan might help the right winger recapture the form he was displaying back in the Eredivisie, potentially allowing the Old Trafford side a chance to earn a sizeable fee from his sale in the future.

According to Givemesport, the 20-time English league champions had spoken with Lille regarding Antony during their negotiations for Leny Yoro.

“GMS sources have been told that Lille is a potential destination for Antony as his name cropped up when negotiations were held over Yoro.

“The Ligue 1 outfit would be interested in offering a route out of Old Trafford if a deal which suits their needs and financial position can be agreed in the coming weeks.”

Lille want Antony on loan

The French side are open to a temporary deal should finances fall in place. The former Sao Paulo star earns around £200,000 per week as per Capology and Lille are unlikely to be able to afford such an exorbitant spend.

United might need to help out by paying a portion of Antony’s wages for the deal to go through. Currently, apart from Saudi clubs, not many can afford the former Ajax star.

The left-footed star is yet to feature for United in pre-season but is likely to get his chance in the US. He is set to compete with Amad as well as Alejandro Garnacho for the right-wing spot and is unlikely to earn too many minutes in the coming season.

Even if a permanent exit is not possible, getting the Brazil star’s wages off the books would be a huge help and could allow United the chance to sign more players this window. INEOS would want such a scenario to play out.

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