Manchester United were right to sign Antony over alternative options

Ten goals in the Eredivisie secured Antony a winners' medal. Ten goals in the Premier League barely scraped sixth for Bruno Fernandes.

There is not an exact measurement between the different levels in Dutch and English football but the chasm is roughly the size of the Grand Canyon.

Manchester United wanted to send Amad to Feyenoord to develop until injury scotched that. Eventually, Amad headed north of the border and he did not cut it in the Scottish Premiership.

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Last week, Rangers eliminated PSV Eindhoven from the Champions League to qualify for the group stage. The Netherlands national team failed to qualify for two of the last three major tournaments.

Liverpool's sole signing from a Dutch club under Jurgen Klopp remains Sepp van den Berg and Angelino is the only Eredivisie recruit Manchester City have made during their 14 years post-takeover.

Dutch clubs continue to be a halfway house for South American and European prodigies. Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy are United greats and Ji-sung Park, also acquired from PSV, a cult figure.

Those three have to be discounted in the age of United AD (after dominance). Ferguson also milked the last ounce of world-class football from Edwin van der Sar and Robin van Persie.

When United eventually issue a statement confirming Antony is now their player, it will be accompanied by quotes from the Brazilian and football director John Murtough, as though he is the mastermind behind raiding the Dutch market.

You do not have to be Poirot to detect Erik ten Hag's fingerprints all over United's business. A club whose executive vice-chairman derided the signing of Dutchman Daley Blind and where two of his compatriots left after 18 months have ripped