Antony departed Ajax last summer to reconnect with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford after Manchester United agreed to pay a colossal transfer fee that might reach £86 million.
According to rumors, Manchester United executives admitted that they overpaid to sign Antony from Ajax last summer.
They are still hopeful that Brazil international can live up to the hefty amount United paid, which may increase to £86 million. Antony, 22, scored the Red Devils’ fifth goal in their Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Charlton before being substituted at the hour mark.
However, the teenager has not made the effect the United leadership hoped he would, while Erik ten Hag labeled one incident of showboating as “stupid”. Antony has plenty of time to make a name for himself in Manchester, and club executives feel the decision to sign him was sound.
According to ESPN, the club’s scouts did not locate many left-footed options to bolster their attack, with Antony one of just three to make the shortlist. Further, director of football John Murtough and other members of staff were pleased with the player’s desire to reunite with former Ajax boss Ten Hag in the Premier League.
One final reason for the signing last summer was that the United hierarchy was concerned that numerous European giants would be searching for a player of Antony’s profile in 2023. This could have driven the price up further, so the Red Devils opted to steal a march on their continental rivals.
So, while the reasoning for bringing Antony to Old Trafford is sound, United are expecting more from their talented winger during the second half of the season – and the campaigns to come. Ten Hag stressed Antony has plenty of room for improvement after he scored in the 2-1 victory over Everton in October.
Will Antony live up to his mammoth price tag at Manchester United? Have your say in the comments!
“He is a young player we have to develop, but he has to develop himself,” Ten Hag said of Antony. “We have to expect more from him. He needs challenges. That’s why he came to the Premier League. He will step up. In the first weeks, he’s scored goals, he did good stuff, but also I see a lot of room for improvement in his game.”
United are expected to sign Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley to bolster their attacking options in January, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit in November. However, Ten Hag insists he already has enough firepower at his disposal, picking out Antony’s recent scoring run to illustrate his point.
“I’m convinced players can do it like Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes,” the Dutchman said. “Alejandro [Garnacho] can do it, Antony can do it. Antony has scored twice in a row, so I think we have enough players to score goals.”
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