‘I want to join Man United’: Antony begs Ajax as Red Devils reject £76m bid

Antony has pleaded with Ajax to let him leave after they rejected Manchester United’s improved £76million bid.

The Dutch champions and coach Alfred Schreuder are insisting that the 22-year-old is not for sale despite the scale of the offer.

Antony is desperate to join United, having trained on his own in recent days, and now hopes Ajax’s finance directors intervene, reasoning that such an offer may not come again.

‘Since February of this year, my agent came to Amsterdam to inform Ajax of my desire to leave the club to face a new challenge,’ he told journalist Fabrizio Romano.

‘In June of this year, I interrupted my holiday and came personally to inform the managers of Ajax, including new coach, about my wish to leave and that they should consider this possibility.

‘I’m not asking to release me, I’m asking Ajax to sell me for the highest bid ever received for a player who plays in the Eredivisie. I’ve been insisting on this term since February so the club could reveal the team with peace of mind, right timing.’

He added: ‘I was very happy in Amsterdam, I won titles, made friends and built back my career but now I reinforce that I’m ready and full of motivation to follow my story and my dreams.’