The marquee £86m move bringing Antony to Manchester United in 2022 has become a nightmare for all.
Signed as the man to solve the right-wing conundrum which had troubled Manchester United for years, the Brazilian has been anything but a solution.
A red-hot start saw Antony score in his debut against Arsenal – giving fans false hope of a Samba superstar becoming key at Old Trafford.
Since this dream debut, Antony has scored just 11 goals in 93 games for United – a run which saw Erik ten Hag lose faith in his big-money acquisition.
- 94 games
- 12 goals
- 5 assists
- 14 yellow cards
Now, under Amorim, Antony is far from a first choice despite support from the new head coach. This has all led to Antony’s likely January departure.
Manchester United will struggle to loan Antony
A loan switch in January seems to be Antony’s best bet, with a number of clubs interested as United in Focus understands.
“There is interest there,” explains transfer expert Graeme Bailey. “Real Betis are one and Ajax want him. United would in theory have to pay a lot of his wages but beyond that, there is a concern within Old Trafford of letting him out on a six-month loan in case he doesn’t perform.
“We saw that happen with Anthony Martial at Sevilla. If he goes out on loan and doesn’t perform, that’s gonna hurt United and Antony even more and they’ll have an even less chance of getting rid of him.”
United in Focus also understands that a longer loan could actually be of interest to the Red Devils.
“I’ve been told that United would consider an 18-month loan deal as it gives the player more time to settle and do well so I don’t think that can be ruled out at this stage – with a return to Ajax or Brazil possible destinations in that case.
“At the moment the deals on offer, United want a lot of his wages covered and clubs just aren’t willing to do that. So if the deal is right, United will do it but they won’t sanction a free loan, it has to be right.”
Ruben Amorim won’t want Antony to leave in January
As bad as Antony has been for two years, his departure in January would be untimely considering the lack of options at his disposal.
United are struggling, and in fairness, Antony has had a few encouraging performances in recent weeks.
The wing-back role suits Antony and with Amorim not expecting additions this month, keeping the Brazilian could be favourable.
It remains to be seen whether Antony will exit, but it’s clear if he does that it will be on United’s terms – otherwise, he may be best served under Amorim where he could become a good squad player.
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