EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United consider SHOCK move for ex-Aston Villa winger amid uncertainty over Antony and Jadon Sancho, with the Dutchman available on a free transfer having left PSV
Manchester United are weighing up a move to sign Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi as a free agent amid the uncertainty hanging over Antony and Jadon Sancho.
El Ghazi left PSV Eindhoven by mutual consent last week and would be able to join United outside the transfer window.
The 28-year-old, who also played for Ajax, Aston Villa and Everton, watched United lose to Arsenal at the Emirates in the last game before the international break.
It’s understood that El Ghazi also has offers from Saudi Arabia, but United could give him the opportunity to make a Premier League return.
Manager Erik ten Hag has a major problem on the right wing after Antony was placed on leave until further notice following allegations that he attacked three women, and Sancho’s future at Old Trafford was plunged into doubt after he had a public falling-out with his manager.
Ten Hag held talks with Sancho on Monday as the two men met for the first time since the player effectively branded his manager a liar on social media for saying he had been dropped for the Arsenal game because he had not trained well.
Sancho’s message, in which he also claimed to have been made a scapegoat at United, remained pinned to his account on Monday night.
It’s clear the 23-year-old faces an uncertain future after a loan move to Saudi club Al-Ettifaq fell through last week, although United will struggle to offload him before the January transfer window.
Antony, meanwhile, is likely to be out of action for the foreseeable future as he continues to fight to clear his name.
The 23-year-old gave an interview to Brazilian television channel SBT on Friday to refute claims made by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin that he attacked her on four occasions. The allegations are being investigated by police in Manchester and Sao Paulo.
On Monday, Antony contested an allegation by 33-year-old banker Ingrid Lana that he tried to force himself on her during a business meeting.
The player revealed WhatsApp messages he claims they exchanged before sharing ‘an intimate and consensual encounter’ in a Manchester hotel.
Antony, who was dropped by Brazil for their World Cup qualifiers, said: ‘I don’t want to but I’m being forced to publish a small part of the WhatsApp conversations with Ingrid, which demonstrates that we only had a single meeting. This matter with this fraudster will be resolved in court!’
‘I was chatting with Ingrid via WhatsApp. When she went to Portugal to go to her cousin’s birthday, she asked to come here to Manchester to meet me, with the clear intention of meeting me intimately, including asking me if I preferred red or white lingerie.
‘I bought a ticket and booked a hotel for her. In fact, I met her at the aforementioned hotel and we had an intimate and consensual encounter.
‘Although she insisted that we meet again for another intimate encounter, due to scheduling issues I was unable to see her again, as she returned to Brazil. Since then, I have never met her again.’
The third woman is law student Rayssa de Freitas who claims that she needed hospital treatment following an incident in May of last year when she was attacked by Antony and Mallu Ohana – the ex-wife of Brazil player Dudu – in Antony’s Land Rover after the three left a Sao Paulo nightclub. Antony denies any wrongdoing.
