Don't blame Antony for Manchester United's mistake - his transfer exposes £907million problem

When Manchester United moved for Antony in September 2022, it was a signing concluded to bolster attacking options late in the window.

The €100m (£86m) addition of the then 22-year-old Brazilian raised plenty of eyebrows given the inflated price, with prospects arriving with rather limited experience in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, rarely driving such a high price unless the output has been phenomenal.

Indeed, according to a report in the Athletic last year, the initial valuation that was put on Antony by scouts who had assessed him was £25m. United began dialogue with Ajax and quickly stepped back when it emerged how much the Dutch side wanted for the Brazilian.

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It was reported that United did not want to go higher than £60m, but through poor strategy, a bad start to the season and a lack of other available options, the big red panic button was pushed and the club ceded to the demands of Ajax. Antony’s first season was fairly ordinary, showing glimpses of the quality and flair he had become known for in the Eredivisie.

But this season has been a wholly different experience. Twenty games in the Premier League, with no goals or assists, and his only competitive strike came in the 4-2 FA Cup win at Newport County last month. Simply put, it is neither the output that United wanted nor expected, and a decision is likely to be made on where his future lies this summer.

The MEN reported on Monday that United, now pursuing a different football strategy after the completion of the 27.7 per cent equity stake in the club by INEOS chief Sir Jim