Erik ten Hag will have five players fighting for one position at Manchester United next season

After completing the £72.9million signing of Jadon Sancho in July 2021, nobody would have expected Manchester United to invest such a huge amount of money in another right-winger just over 12 months later.

But following Erik ten Hag's appointment as manager, it was always a certainty that he would want to put his own stamp on the squad he inherited. After raiding former club Ajax for centre-back Lisandro Martinez at the end of July, Ten Hag tapped into his old squad again just over a month later, bringing Antony to Old Trafford for an eye-watering £85.5million fee.

The Brazilian was Ten Hag's top target throughout the summer to strengthen United's right-wing options and add a left-footed presence to that side of the pitch. United paid over the odds for the 23-year-old and that has been reflected in his performances so far this season.

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Although he has established himself as Ten Hag's first-choice right-winger, he has struggled to so far justify such an astronomical fee. He has struggled for consistency and has scored just seven goals and grabbed one assist in 30 appearances.

Nevertheless, he is still only 23 and is adapting to a new league, a new club and a completely different way of life. Ten Hag has taken him under his wing and will persevere with him. If anything, Antony is a project for the United boss.

But if he continues to struggle and stutter, failing to offer the kind of consistency expected from him, the Brazil international will know he will have others breathing down his neck waiting to pounce on an opportunity. The Reds' squad is flooded with right-wing options and Ten Hag faces the challenge, in many ways, of tidying up that area of the