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Barcelona are reportedly chasing Ajax winger Antony, who has drawn comparisons with club legend Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho was signed by Joan Laporta in 2003 and went on to breathe new life back into the Catalan side with his eye-catching football. The Brazilian was the face of their Champions League victory in 2006, among other titles, and Laporta now seeks to repeat the trick by bringing Antony to the club.
The 21-year-old is technically brilliant and offers an attacking threat. He played a key role in Ajax's sensational Champions League run this season with two goals and four assists. The team went on to pick up six wins from the same number of games in the group stages.
Barcelona's current manager Xavi also reportedly endorses the player, who could compete with Ousmane Dembele on the right-wing in his squad.
Ajax have set an asking price of €40 million for Antony and Barcelona are seemingly ready to pay the amount. If a deal is struck, then Antony could join Johan Cruyff, Frenkie de Jong and a host of other players who swapped Amsterdam for Camp Nou in the past.
Antony has scored 15 goals in 59 appearances for Ajax. He also won the Eredivisie with the club during the 2020-21 season.
The La Liga's winter transfer window opens on January 3 and runs until January 31.
Antony could bolster Barcelona's attacking vanguard
Antony may not be the solution to all of Barcelona's problems but he could seriously boost their attack, which has struggled to fire without Lionel Messi. Pacy, athletic and creative, the 21-year-old has the potential to turn into a world-class player at Camp Nou under Xavi's tutelage.
Antony is also a deadly finisher, which has allowed him to rack up goals by the dozen. The winger has already scored eight goals this season, a sign of what he brings to Barcelona.
Dembele won't give up his position that easily but his poor injury record and inconsistency means Antony's arrival could seriously diminish his first-team chances.
