Manchester United have agreed to pay £84million to Ajax in the hope that Antony Matheus dos Santos, the son of a locksmith from Sao Paulo, can supply the key to the Erik ten Hag revolution.
It is quite a burden of responsibility but the 22-year-old Brazilian is accustomed to the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
‘In Antony’s case, the sky is the limit,’ said Andre Jardine, one of his former coaches, who worked with him in his formative years at the celebrated Sao Paulo academy and later with Brazil’s Olympic squad. ‘Who knows how far this player can grow.