Bayer Leverkusen are set to appoint Erik ten Hag as their new manager and that could lead to them reigniting their interest in one Manchester United player.
Manchester United decided to part ways with Erik ten Hag earlier this campaign after a poor start to his third season in charge of the club.
The Dutchman won the Carabao Cup in his first year before adding the FA Cup to his achievements several months before being dismissed, with Ruben Amorim taking his place at the helm.
Since then, Ten Hag has remaining out of work despite several rumours of a mid-season return. He wanted to wait until the summer to return to the hot-seat.
According to various reports, he is now set to take over at German club Bayer Leverkusen as the replacement for Xavi Alonso, who is heading to Real Madrid.
Leverkusen won the Bundesliga last season and finished second behind Bayern Munich this summer but Ten Hag will have a challenging job, with several high-profile stars set to leave the club.
Ten Hag and Leverkusen could reignite interest in United star
With players like Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz planning to depart the BayArena in the coming months, Ten Hag will be able to look for signings to bolster their chances next season.
United fans have joked about the 54-year-old taking some of his former players, as that’s exactly what he did when he arrived at Old Trafford in 2022.
But there does seem to be a serious possibility that the German club do come in for one United star as they have already been linked with him in recent weeks and Ten Hag is a big fan.
Antony is currently on loan at Real Betis and doing well after finding major difficulties at Old Trafford. The Spanish club want to keep him but there are uncertainties about whether they can afford to sign him permanently.
It was reported at the start of the May by Ekrem Konur that Leverkusen have shown interest in Antony, but that the Brazilian player is prioritising continuing his career in La Liga.
Whether or not the 25-year-old’s decision would change with Ten Hag at the German club remains to be seen, but it is clear that Leverkusen would be able to supply the cash United require for a permanent transfer.
Ten Hag and Antony reunion could be perfect for all parties
It became a running joke within the United fanbase that Ten Hag loved Antony too much, so this transfer would come as no surprise to many supporters.
Even when Amad was breaking through and showing his talents earlier this season, Ten Hag often opted for the Brazilian to come into the team.
“Amad, he is doing well,” said Ten Hag after the game against Fenerbahçe earlier this season when he brought Antony on ahead of Amad.
“But I must also reward to reward the performances of Antony in training, he is a threat almost every training, so I felt in that moment to bring him, to decide the game.”
It would be a perfect reunion for the pair who also worked together at Ajax, while United would be happy to take the cash for the player who is unwanted at Old Trafford now.
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