Another high-profile Man Utd name tipped for loan exit as Barcelona make approach for major Ten Hag signing
Mason Mount and Antony warm up before Man Utd game
Barcelona are reportedly looking into the possibility of a January transfer window raid on Manchester United for a much-maligned attacker.
Big changes are afoot at Old Trafford after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal to buy 25 percent of the club goes, with the Premier League ratification expected next month. However, that has not stopped some changes to Erik ten Hag’s squad already taking shape.
Big-money buys Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek have already been offloaded on loan with views to permanent exits, although Ratfliffe’s full impact is not expected to be felt until the summer.
United have faced plenty of criticism over the last decade about their poor recruitment, with very few transfer hits since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013.
And while Ten Hag’s first campaign in charge produced a Carabao Cup win and a top-four finish, the current campaign has been nothing short of disastrous so far.
The Red Devils currently sit seventh in the Premier League table, eight points off fourth-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand on the Red Devils. Ten Hag’s men also finished bottom of their Champions League group to crash ou of Europe completely.
Ten Hag’s judgment has also been questioned over a number of signings he had a hand in.
One of those players is winger Antony, who Spanish publication Nacional insist was Ten Hag’s ‘personal bet’ but is now being tipped to move to Catalonia.
The Brazilian, who has yet to provide a goal or an assist this season, could now quit the club just 18 months after signing, with United’s ‘patience completely run out’.
The reports states that Ten Hag is ‘very unhappy with him’ and that Barcelona ‘have appeared’ and are ‘very seriously interested in welcoming him’ to the Camp Nou this month.
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Barcelona only considering Antony loan
Antony was known to be a previous target for Barca when he was at Ajax with Ten Hag, but now the Catalan giants are hoping to secure a loan, with a deal promising if they can negotiate ‘favorable conditions’.
Barcelona are not currently in a position where they pay a ‘significant amount for Antony, with Nacional adding that the ‘only option for him to be able to wear Barcelona is for him to come on loan’.
In terms of the player himself, it’s reported that Antony ‘would be delighted to try his luck’ in Catalonia, with barca currently struggling down in fourth place in LaLiga.
Antony won’t be the only winger heading for the Old Trafford exit door either, with Facundo Pellistri closing in on a move to Granada, who are in ‘advanced talks’ over a loan move until the end of the season.
Pellistri has been told that he will be allowed to depart the club this month in order to get regular playing time, despite featuring 14 times for United this season – although most of those have been from the bench.
The Red Devils are back in action on January 28 when they head to League Two Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round.
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