Manchester United’s transfer business in recent years has been some of the worst in the world. The club have spent vast sums and seen very little return on their investments.
Hiring five permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and spending nearly £1.5 billion on transfers, United’s owners have signed off on some hefty deals.
Paul Pogba remains the club’s record signing following his return from Juventus in 2016 for £89 million. The Frenchman’s move is closely followed by Antony’s £86 million transfer from Ajax in 2022.
Irrespective of Antony’s price tag and the hype surrounding him at the time, his move to Old Trafford has been an absolute disaster.
Antony is close to joining Real Betis on loan but it’s a given the La Liga club won’t be able to sign him permanently.
Antony’s plummeting value epitomes Man United’s failings
Understandably frustrated by the Brazilian’s output, which has included just 12 goals in 96 games, United are determined to offload the disappointing 24-year-old.
The biggest problem Sir Jim Ratcliffe faces when it comes to offloading Antony is recouping a reasonable fee.
Obviously, the Red Devils will not be getting back anything like what they paid Ajax two-and-a-half years ago which means the club will have to accept a significant loss.
According to figures worked out by Manchester Evening News, £32.5 million would probably be enough to sign Antony in the summer. Buyers are not expected though.
Therefore, judging by the amortisation of his fee across a five-year contract, by the end of his fourth year (2026), the South American would be worth just £16 million.
With this in mind, the likeliest solution would be for United to sanction a season-long loan for the 2025-26 campaign and include an obligation to buy.
Time to go
Antony isn’t the first player in history to join Manchester United and fail to impress. The weight of the famous red jersey weighs heavy and not all are fit to wear it.
However, frequent discussions about the deal aren’t solely due to the ridiculous fee, it’s also because the club’s leadership uncritically followed Erik ten Hag’s advice to sign Antony, a manager they dismissed just one year after reaching the agreement.
Antony’s transfer to Manchester United will not only go down as arguably the Premier League’s worst-ever signing but his embarrassingly poor stint at Old Trafford will be used to evidence the Glazer family’s horrendous leadership for years to come.
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