Manchester United’s history of questionable recruitment decisions has been evident since the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

This trend is especially pronounced when it comes to filling wide attacking positions. Players like Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay, and Alexis Sanchez, all arrived with massive price tags but failed to deliver, leading to substantial financial losses for the club.

Jadon Sancho appears to be following a similar path after his £72 million move from Borussia Dortmund to Old Trafford in 2021, with a potential exit in the upcoming January transfer window, given his public fallout with Erik ten Hag.

However, it’s worth noting that in the defense of Manchester United, there was at least some rationale behind those previous transfers.

They invested in players with either extensive experience at the highest level or the potential to become the leading talents of their generation.

Antony, on the other hand, does not fit into either of these categories. The Brazilian’s journey began at Ajax when he joined from Sao Paulo for just £13 million in July 2020. He spent two years at the Johan Cruyff ArenA under Ten Hag before following the Dutchman to Old Trafford last summer.

Ajax made a significant profit on Antony, who ranked 19th in Eredivisie for goals scored (18), seventh for assists (8), and 21st for chances created (75) across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

Manchester United not only overpaid for the winger, but they also significantly overvalued him, forking out £85 million.

Initially, Antony made a strong start in Manchester, becoming the first player to score in his first three Premier League games for United.

However, the weaknesses in his game quickly became apparent. The 23-year-old finished his first season with just eight goals and has failed to score or register an assist in his nine appearances this season.

There is no sign of improvement in his performance, with Manchester United rarely posing a real threat down the right flank when he starts. It’s evident that Antony does not possess the qualities required to succeed at a club of United’s stature.

Although he is under contract until 2027, it would be impractical to let his market value continue to decline.

Manchester United must consider cutting their losses on Antony as soon as possible, especially in light of his recent underwhelming performance in the Manchester Derby.

Antony was left on the bench for United’s first meeting of the season with arch-rivals Manchester City, and he expressed his frustration when Ten Hag didn’t call upon him for substitutions until the 86th minute, with United already trailing 3-0.

Antony’s body language suggested little interest in aiding his team’s late comeback efforts. Instead, he found himself bested twice by Jeremy Doku in a one-on-one confrontation, and he reacted in frustration by kicking out at Doku.

Doku responded by wagging his finger at Antony, and the United player attempted to push his hand away before they were separated by their teammates.

After the incident settled, referee Paul Tierney issued a yellow card to Antony, to the astonishment of United legend Gary Neville.

“That’s absolutely ridiculous, that’s a sending-off,” Neville commented while providing commentary for Sky Sports. “Absolutely ridiculous from Antony. It’s embarrassing.”

In the end, Doku had the last word as he mocked Antony on social media with an image of their altercation and the caption, “Stay calm. Manchester is blue.”

This wasn’t the first time Antony provoked an opponent unnecessarily, and it likely won’t be the last. Generally, he tends to be the one drawing fouls, but what sets him apart from Doku is his infrequent ability to create scoring opportunities for his team.

He appears to have a quick temper and an inflated sense of his abilities, which may be influenced by his standing within Ten Hag’s squad.

However, it’s doubtful that Antony would secure a spot in the starting lineup of any of the top six Premier League teams, and his current situation is largely due to Ten Hag’s preference for players he has worked with in the past.

Antony

This season he played in total 7 times for 407 minutes for Premier League.

Antony didn’t score any goal for Manchester United. He procured no assists. He received 2 yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 8th in Premier League. In the last match Manchester United lost 3-0 against Newcastle United. The next match in Premier League will be against Fulham.

Manchester United performance and stats

Manchester United is currently 8th in the Premier League with 15 points.

In the last 10 games, it has won 5 times and lost 5 times. In its last match, Manchester United lost 0-3 against Manchester City.​​

It has a negative goal difference after scoring 11 goals and conceding 16.​

Manchester United will play the next match in Premier League against Fulham on Saturday 4th of November in London. The prediction is Manchester United winning the match.​