Former Barcelona Director Reveals Near-Signing of Antony
Jordi Cruyff, the former director of Barcelona, has revealed that the club came close to acquiring Antony from Ajax, before ultimately deciding to sign Raphinha instead.
Antony transitioned from Ajax to Manchester United, where he faced significant challenges and struggled to find his form. However, he has since rejuvenated his career with Real Betis in Spain.
Cruyff has continued to express admiration for Antony, calling him a “special player” during an appearance on The Overlap. He reflected on how the decision not to pursue Antony could have impacted his trajectory.
Looking back, it’s easy to speculate that joining Barcelona at that time might have offered Antony a more beneficial path following his departure from Ajax. Historically, many players have found great success making the leap from Ajax to Barcelona, including Cruyff’s iconic father, Johan.
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