Reports have emerged over how Ajax beat Chelsea and Manchester City to São Paulo wonderkid Antony.

According to the younster’s agent, the Premier League side were one of the clubs interested in signing the player.

The 20-year-old has recently agreed a transfer to Ajax, and is joining the Dutch side in a €16m deal in the next summer window, report Sport Witness.

Representative Junior Pedroso has been interviewed by Yahoo’s Jorge Nicola to give more details on the transfer, and revealed that the Stamford Bridge were in the fight for the signing.

“Borussia came close. They even sent a person to Brazil. There were also two other great teams from England, one of them Chelsea. In total, we talked to 12 different teams.”

Funny thing is that there were a couple of Premier Leagues clubs who got heavily linked to Antony that year, none of them were Chelsea.

Arsenal and Manchester City were said to be following the player, and it’s even been claimed that Pep Guardiola’s side had made a bid of €20m to get him in the last summer.

Considering how much are Ajax paying for attacker now, that report was probably inaccurate, unless São Paulo regret rejecting that amount back then and were forced to accept only €16m this time.

David Moyes has revealed he’d ask for Billy Gilmour in exchange for Declan Rice if Chelsea come knocking for his star man this summer.

With West Ham boss Moyes all-but resigned to losing his midfielder maestro in the summer, the ex-Manchester United and Everton chief has joked he is tempted to demand Gilmour in return.

Moyes told the BBC: “The one [Scottish player] who if I could sign tomorrow I would is Billy Gilmour after his opening performances for Chelsea.

“He’s looked like a seasoned pro, he’s looked like somebody who’s hungry, who’s in love with the game.

“I was laughing because I keep getting told that Chelsea want Declan Rice…

“So I thought well I might just decide I want Billy Gilmour and see how it goes.”