Manchester United winger Antony takes former membership Ajax to courtroom over ‘illegal’ fines forward of his £85.5m transfer

Manchester United winger Antony has taken his former club Ajax to court, accusing the Dutch giants of ‘unlawfully’ fining him ahead of his 2022 move to Old Trafford.

The Brazilian missed training sessions as well as Ajax’s third league match of the season – despite not being injured – before the Red Devils agreed an £85.5million fee for his services. 

Alfred Schreuder, then Ajax boss, told ESPN in August 2022: ‘I only want players who are fully focused on Ajax. We have talked about it and I think it is a difficult situation.’

Antony is said to have eventually discovered that monies had been docked from his pay after completing his move. According to the Dutch newspaper AD, the winger is accusing the club of ‘unlawful’ behaviour, with one source quoted as saying the fines totalled ‘a few hundred thousand euros’. 

A spokesperson from the arbitration committee of the Dutch national football association confirmed that the case started on Monday in Zeist, near Utrecht. Antony turned to the arbitration committee six months ago. Cases of this nature usually rule within a month of the hearing. 

The 24-year-old’s time in Manchester has fallen well short of expectation. After scoring on his debut in a 3-1 win against Arsenal, he has managed just 11 further goals in all competitions in the last three seasons. 

Antony has taken his former club Ajax to court, accusing the club of ‘unlawful’ behaviour

The Brazilian grew frustrated by the pace of negotiations before completing his £85.5m move in 2022

Antony missed a few training sessions with his former club and a league match, with then-Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder implying the forward was not focussed on the Dutch club

Antony’s only goal this season came in United’s 7-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. He quickly fell out of favour under Erik ten Hag and has failed to prove to new boss Ruben Amorim that he deserves a place in his side. 

The forward has been linked with a move away from the club this month, with his agent Junior Pedroso recently telling GiveMeSport that his client is willing to go out on loan.

‘These clubs wanted to understand the situation for Antony, so I can confirm that there’s concrete interest,’ Pedroso said.

‘I can say that Antony’s future is very much tied to Manchester United’s interests. If the club thinks it would be a good idea to loan Antony out in January so he can get more minutes and regain his trust, we will work together on that option.

‘Otherwise, Antony is working hard to regain his place and show his best skills under the new coach Ruben Amorim.’

Mail Sport understands that Greek side Olympiacos are interested in his signing, while he has also been linked to LaLiga outfit Real Betis.