Liverpool dodged a bullet! Antony's agent confirms transfer talks with Reds - but Mohamed Salah scuppered deal before ill-fated £86m Man Utd switch

Antony was a major up-and-coming star at Ajax under Erik ten Hag and had several clubs keeping tabs on his situation. The Dutch coach then moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2022 and made signing the Brazilian his number-one priority as the Red Devils then snapped the winger up for a fee of £85m ($110m) a few months later.

Reports from earlier this month have suggested that former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was very interested in bringing Antony to Anfield as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, whose future at the club was under question at the time. Antony's agent Junior Pedroso has now revealed that the reports are true as he discussed why the deal fell through between the Reds and his agent.

Speaking to winwin.com, Pedroso said: "Yes, this story has a basis in truth."

When asked if the negotiations ended because Antony preferred Manchester United, he said: "No (negotiations stopped as), Salah renewed his contract at the time with Liverpool, and that made Antony's move to Liverpool impossible."

The Brazilian's move to Manchester United did not work out in the end for either party and a separation next summer seems highly likely with Antony unlikely to be a choice for new boss Ruben Amorim, who will look to refresh the squad over the next few months.