Amidst a chaotic period of the transfer window for Manchester United, which has seen them acquire two high-quality signings, reports have circulated suggesting one maligned player could depart on loan.
Indeed, one of Erik ten Hag’s first-ever signings at Old Trafford, Antony, has found himself linked with a temporary move away from the club to regain his form after two dismal seasons.
The winger set United back a jaw-dropping £86 million in 2022 when he signed from Ajax on a five-year deal; Ten Hag personally pushed for his arrival after working with him in Amsterdam for two seasons.
Yet, the manager is still waiting to see the most prolific version of Antony that he would’ve been so familiar with back then. The 24-year-old is on course to cement his place as one of United’s most disappointing signings in history, with his outrageous price tag growing more unfathomable with every lacklustre showing he displays.
In his maiden season as a Red, he scored eight goals and contributed three assists in 44 appearances – numbers that look somewhat impressive given what followed in his sophomore campaign, as the Brazilian proceeded to record a mere three goals in total across all competitions – and 38 outings – in 2023/2024.
A series of particularly lousy cameos led to Antony losing his starting role to his younger counterpart, Alejandro Garnacho. After the summer, he’ll also have Amad Diallo, Jadon Sancho and Facundo Pellistri to vie with for minutes.
What Ten Hag has said about Antony over pre-season
That’s presumably why recent reports mooted a loan move for the attacker, despite Ten Hag’s recent comments affirming his faith in his signing – albeit admitting that he wasn’t up to scratch last season.
“I am still convinced that Antony has the potential to play at this club,” Ten Hag began. “He certainly showed that potential in the first month: he scored three times in his first three games. After that, it became more difficult. Last season was not good.”
Antony’s agent has also since spoken out to dismiss any speculation over a potential exit, declaring: “I see reports about potential exit on loan. Antony’s plan is clear: Manchester United.
“He wants to stay. He’s only focused on Man United. We already spoke about that with the club.”
