Due to the difficulty in acquiring Ajax winger Antony, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has authorized the club’s proposal to recruit Bayer Leverkusen‘s Moussa Diaby, according to Fichajes.
The Red Devils have been heavily connected with Antony in recent weeks, but they have been dealt a setback with Ajax raising their asking price from €80 million to €100 million.
United was reluctant to pay over €60m for him earlier this month, and it seems unlikely that they will finalize a nine-figure sum to sign the Brazil international.
Amidst this, Fichajes claim that United has identified Diaby as Antony’s alternative, and has already gotten the approval from Ten Hag to make a transfer offer.
Diaby would be a better signing than Antony
Diaby is a left-footed winger, who is versatile. While Antony has played most of his career from the right wing, the Frenchman is comfortable from either flank.
The 23-year-old has made a huge impression for Leverkusen and was at his best last season. He bagged an impressive 17 goals and 14 assists from 42 outings.
Diaby is valued at €60m, as per Transfermarkt. At that figure, he could be a solid acquisition. There is more value for money, considering the hefty €100m price tag for Antony.
The attributes of Diaby and Antony are very much similar. Both of them are blessed with superb dribbling skills and have the knack for making key passes in the final third.
Diaby seems the better choice for United as he can easily play on either wing. The only concern would be that he may need more time to adapt to the Premier League.
