Scout aka Chelsea scout Piet de Visser, revealed that the Blues had actually been interested in signing Antony because he thought he had 'poison in his back.'
Antony joined Ajax Amsterdam in 2020. He was proposed to the club Sao Paulo.
At Ajax, the 22-year-old immediately looked good. He became the mainstay of the Eredivisie club's pillar players.
Two years later Antony left Ajax. Manchester United signed him for around 100 million euros.
Chelsea Had Targeted Antony
Before Manchester United, Chelsea was already interested in Antony. They even watched him since he was still playing in Brazil.
This was revealed by Chelsea scout Piet de Visser. However, De Visser said at that time Chelsea were hesitant to bring him directly from Brazil and preferred to wait for him to adapt to European competition at Ajax Amsterdam.
“Together with Hans van der Zee [a former Ajax scout] we saw him for the first time in the Brazilian youth team and we were both blown away by him. It was a few years ago, just before he went to Ajax," he recalled to Voetbal Nieuws.
"I think he has to make an intermediate step and then Hans suggested Ajax. And then we will take him straight from Ajax."
Reasons Chelsea Like Antony
Piet de Visser then revealed why Chelsea were interested in Antony. He said the left-handed winger was a very dangerous player.
"We couldn't get him, I wanted him. He's a boy with poison on his back," he cried.
"He crosses the line sometimes, but he's from the favela, isn't he?"
Jaap Stam Prediction
Former Manchester United defender, Jaap Stam, had given his prediction about Antony's future at Old Trafford. He believes the winger will become a top player in the world.
The praise came from him after Antony made his debut for MU. At that time he immediately scored a goal against Arsenal.
"You can see this kid has a special talent because he scores goals when given the chance. He has a sharp finish and hopefully he will join the team soon because this kid could be a great player in the future," Stam told Bet365. .
Chelsea Match Schedule
Next Chelsea Match Schedule:
Match: Chelsea vs RB Salzburg
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Day: Thursday, September 15, 2022
Kickoff: 02.00 WIB