Despite the Brazilian talent, Manchester United might just have Overspent on his transfer.
According to reports, Manchester United officials have acknowledged that they paid a premium fee for the acquisition of Antony from Ajax last summer. Despite this, they remain confident in the young Brazilian international’s potential to live up to the large sum, which could reach £86 million. Antony has recently scored his fifth goal for the Red Devils in the Carabao Cup quarter-final victory against Charlton, but has not yet made the impact the United hierarchy had hoped for. Manager Erik ten Hag has even publicly criticized one instance of showboating as “ridiculous.”
Despite this, United’s director of football, John Murtough, and other staff members were pleased with Antony’s desire to reunite with his former Ajax coach, Ten Hag, in the Premier League. Additionally, the club’s scouts had identified a lack of left-footed options to bolster their attack, with Antony being one of only three players on their shortlist. Furthermore, the United hierarchy was concerned that other European giants would also be seeking a player of Antony’s profile in 2023, which could have driven the price up even further.
While the reasoning behind Antony’s signing is sound, the club is expecting more from the talented winger in the second half of the season and in the seasons to come. Ten Hag has emphasized that Antony has plenty of room for improvement and that the move to the Premier League will provide the challenges he needs to reach his full potential.
Despite rumors of Manchester United’s plans to acquire Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley to strengthen their attacking options following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit in November, Ten Hag asserts that he already has enough firepower at his disposal, pointing to Antony’s recent scoring streak as an example. He maintains that players like Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, and Alejandro Garnacho can also step up and score goals.