Summer signing for Manchester United Of his difficult childhood in Brazil, Antony has spoken. The gifted winger joined Manchester United from Ajax for 100 million euros, and it only took him 35 minutes to score on his debut against Arsenal.
In 2010, when Antony was just 10 years old, he enrolled in Sao Paulo’s youth program. Ten years later, he signed with the Eredivisie champions.
He told Sky Sports, “I was just a simple young boy from a favela.
“I lacked the necessary football footwear. I slept on the sofa because I didn’t have a bedroom.
“I had a home right in the heart of the slum. There were drug traffickers 20 yards from my home.
“On occasion, while watching a Sunday afternoon game, the house would fill with the aroma of marijuana.
“There were times when my sister, brother, and I would hug and cry while reflecting on our lives.
We occasionally had to bail water out of our flooded house in the middle of the night, but we always did it cheerfully.
Summer signing for Manchester United
Of his difficult childhood in Brazil, Antony has spoken. The gifted winger joined Manchester United from Ajax for 100 million euros, and it only took him 35 minutes to score on his debut against Arsenal.
In 2010, when Antony was just 10 years old, he enrolled in Sao Paulo’s youth program. Ten years later, he signed with the Eredivisie champions.
He told Sky Sports, “I was just a simple young boy from a favela.
“I lacked the necessary football footwear. I slept on the sofa because I didn’t have a bedroom.
“I had a home right in the heart of the slum. There were drug traffickers 20 yards from my home.
“On occasion, while watching a Sunday afternoon game, the house would fill with the aroma of marijuana.
“There were times when my sister, brother, and I would hug and cry while reflecting on our lives.
We occasionally had to bail water out of our flooded house in the middle of the night, but we always did it cheerfully.
His first goal is dedicated to Antony.
Antony hit the ground running in the Premier League, opening the scoring in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Arsenal back on September 4.
“When I saw the net bulge and the fans on their feet cheering, it was very emotional,” Antony noted.
“My skin tingled. That goal was for my family and the fans.”
Man Utd update: Glazers finally ready to take next step and enter negotiations
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus all want to complete a takeover of Manchester United.
The Glazers are anticipated to begin price negotiations with the front-runners in the acquisition battle for Manchester United.
The club was placed up for sale by United’s owners in November, with Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus, INEOS CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Qatari financier Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani leading the pack. A minority investment in the company would be attractive to other stakeholders.
Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim each made numerous proposals for United, but neither one of them came close to matching the Glazers’ £6 billion value. As a result, the Raine Group, who is managing the sale on behalf of the Glazers, will now begin negotiating a price.
It is believed that the Glazers will start price talks with the front-runners in the race to acquire Manchester United.
The club was put up for sale by United’s owners in November, with Qatari investor Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, INEOS CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Finnish industrialist Thomas Zilliacus leading the pack. Other stakeholders would be drawn to a minority ownership in the business.
Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe each put out a number of proposals for United, but none one came close to the Glazers’ £6 billion valuation. The Raine Group, who is handling the sale on the Glazers’ behalf, will now start haggling over a price.
The Glazers are selling Manchester United… but only for the right price ( Image: Getty Images)
If a bidder is successful, they will have to put up substantially more money than what the Glazers are asking for. Old Trafford will require more than £1 billion in expenditures, and the new owners will be responsible for about £1 billion in debt.
The sale has divided the Six Glazer brothers. The club’s most active members, Joel and Avram, are willing to stay on board, but Kevin, Edward, Bryan, and Darcie are all willing to sell out. There are a number of reasons why United’s supporters dislike the Glazers.
In addition to going six years without winning a trophy, United has not won the Premier League title since 2013, and much of the club’s infrastructure, including Old Trafford, has been allowed to deteriorate. Supporters also have a problem with that debt.
Zilliacus has urged his fellow bidders to launch a joint bid for United. He told Mirror Football earlier this month, “We could agree on a price the Glazers will accept and instead of one of us paying a huge sum to buy United, we split the cost into three.
“We then use the money we have saved to improve the club and pool our collective expertise to help rebuild the club we all love.
“Someone said to me that you don’t buy a Ferrari and then share it with two other people. But this isn’t an ego trip for me. I don’t think you can ever own an institution like Manchester United – the club belongs to the fans. I would regard myself as a custodian of the club with a responsibility to build and protect it until it is time for me to leave.”
