- Man United are looking for a winger amid allegations against Antony
- There is also uncertainty over Jadon Sancho’s future at the club
- The Red Devils are considering a transfer for free agent Anwar El Ghazi
Manchester United are considering a move to sign Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi as a free agent amid the uncertainty hanging over Antony and Jadon Sancho.
El Ghazi left PSV Eindhoven by mutual consent last week and could join United outside the transfer window.
The 28-year-old, who also played for Ajax, Aston Villa and Everton, saw United lose to Arsenal in the last match before the international break in the Emirates.
It is understood El Ghazi also has offers from Saudi Arabia, but United could give him the chance to return to the Premier League.
Manager Erik ten Hag has a major problem on the right wing after Antony was placed on leave until further notice following allegations he assaulted three women, and Sancho’s future at Old Trafford was thrown into doubt after he had a public falling out with his manager.
Manchester United are interested in signing ex-Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi (above)
The move follows Antony’s decision to take a leave of absence after several women accused him of assault
El Ghazi is a free agent after leaving PSV Eindhoven earlier this summer
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The fact that United are considering a shock move for El Ghazi underlines how seriously they are taking the situation with Antony and Sancho, which cost a total of £158m.
Ten Hag held talks with Sancho on Monday as the two men met for the first time since the player effectively branded his manager a liar on social media for saying he had lost weight for the Arsenal match because he had not trained properly.
Sancho’s message, in which he also claimed to have been made a scapegoat at United, remained in his account on Monday evening.
It is understood the 23-year-old faces an uncertain future after a move to Saudi club Al-Ettifaq fell through last week, although United will struggle to offload him before the January transfer window.
Antony will likely be out of action for the foreseeable future as he continues to fight to clear his name.
The 23-year-old gave an interview to Brazilian television channel SBT on Friday to refute his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin’s claims that he assaulted her four times. The allegations are being investigated by police in Manchester and Sao Paulo.
On Monday, Antony disputed an accusation by 33-year-old banker Ingrid Lana that he tried to force himself on her during a business meeting.
The player revealed WhatsApp messages he claims they exchanged before sharing ‘an intimate and consensual meeting’ at a Manchester hotel.
Antony, who was dropped by Brazil ahead of their World Cup qualifiers, said: ‘I don’t want to but I have been forced to publish a small part of the WhatsApp conversations with Ingrid which shows that we have only had one meeting. This issue with this fraudster will be resolved in court!’
‘I was chatting with Ingrid via WhatsApp. When she went to Portugal to attend her cousin’s birthday, she asked to meet me in Manchester, with the clear intention of meeting me intimately, and asking me if I preferred red or white lingerie.
‘I bought a ticket and booked her a hotel. I even met her at the aforementioned hotel and we had an intimate and consensual encounter.
“Although she insisted that we meet again for another intimate encounter, I was unable to see her again due to scheduling issues when she returned to Brazil. I’ve never met her since.’
The third woman is law student Rayssa de Freitas, who claims she required hospital treatment following an incident in May last year when she was attacked by Antony and Mallu Ohana – the ex-wife of Brazilian player Dudu – in Antony’s Land Rover after the three left a nightclub in Sao Paulo. Antony denies all allegations.