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Former Chelsea scout Piet de Visser has revealed he intended to bring Manchester United forward Antony to Stamford Bridge during his stint with the west London outfit.
De Visser spent 17 years with the Blues as a personal adviser to former owner Roman Abramovich. The Dutchman was in charge until earlier this summer when Abramovich sold the club to Todd Boehly and a consortium of investors.
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The Dutch official admitted that he and Hans van der Zee, a former Ajax head scout, discovered the 22-year-old talent in Brazil's youth ranks. However, De Visser was unable to secure Antony's signature. Hans suggested that Antony move to Ajax to further his development before joining a top-level outfit like Chelsea.
De Visser spoke on the Voetbal Nieuws podcast earlier today (September 12) and said (via Sport Witness):
“Together with Hans van der Zee, we saw him for the first time at Brazil’s youth ranks and we were both charmed by him. That was a few years ago, just before he went to Ajax. I thought he had to make an intermediate step and then Hans suggested Ajax. And then we would take him right from Ajax.”
He added:
“We couldn’t get him, I would have wanted him. He’s a boy with poison in his backside. He sometimes crosses the line, but he comes from the favela, doesn’t he?”
Antony joined Manchester United this summer for a whopping €100 million fee, including add-ons. The Brazilian winger bagged a goal in his debut appearance for the Red Devils against Arsenal in the Premier League on September 4.
Antony hails Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo
Antony has heaped praise on teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the Portuguese forward is 'the best in the world'.
Antony spoke to the media ahead of United's Europa League fixture against Real Sociedad on September 9, which resulted in a 1-0 defeat for the Red Devils. He said:
"Regardless of age, there's immense talent in all the players. Words can’t describe Cristiano, the best in the world. In just a few days, I’ve learnt a lot from him. He has an extraordinary mind and, whenever I talk to him, I take a lot from it.
Predicting a promising future for the Manchester outfit, the Brazilian concluded:
"I’m sure that we have a strong attack and it’s very promising for the future.”
Manchester United are currently fifth in the league table. The Red Devils have bounced back with four consecutive victories in the Premier League after losing their opening two fixtures.
