According to reports, Manchester United and former boss Erik ten Hag chose to sign £86m flop Antony instead of two potential ‘alternatives’.
The Brazil international was picked as Ten Hag’s top target ahead of his first season at Man Utd in 2022/23.
Antony and Ten Hag previously worked together at Eredivisie giants Ajax and the head coach was keen to reunite with the flashy winger.
Man Utd and Ajax were in talks over the summer and the Premier League giants had their pants pulled down, paying around £86m to sign the 24-year-old.
This has proven a huge misstep as Antony never came close to living up to expectations at Old Trafford. He only has 12 goals and five assists in his 96 appearances for United and has slipped in the pecking order this season.
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It’s become clear in recent weeks that the underperforming winger is not part of Ruben Amorim’s plans and he’s joined La Liga outfit Real Betis on loan.
A detailed new report from The Athletic has delved into Antony’s career at Man Utd and claims Barcelona sensation Raphinha was the ‘most prominent’ alternative in the 2022 summer window.
Raphinha made his name in the Premier League with Leeds United, grabbing 14 goal involvements in his 35 appearances in 2021/22.
Barcelona fended off competition from Premier League rivals to sign Raphinha, who has been superb for the La Liga giants this season. He has a remarkable tally of 23 goals and 11 assists in 31 outings this term.
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The report explains why the Red Devils favoured Antony, while Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo was another ‘alternative’.
‘Midway through that window, United cut off talks with Ajax on Antony and privately communicated they would not pay more than £60million.
‘United had alternatives for the right-wing role, most prominently his fellow Brazilian Raphinha, who had scored 11 goals in 35 Premier League games to save Leeds United from relegation, but the Old Trafford recruitment team, together with Ten Hag’s personal influence, rated Antony as the better signing, partly due to him being three years younger. In any case, Raphinha indicated he preferred Barcelona and his £55million transfer to the Camp Nou was sealed in mid-July.
‘Cody Gakpo was another alternative to Antony, albeit he typically operated on the left or up front for another Dutch club, Eindhoven’s PSV. At one point, United looked to bring in both players, as doubts about Cristiano Ronaldo’s future back at the club continued (he would eventually leave in the November).
‘United agreed personal terms with Gakpo but, in the final days of the window, stopped short of making a bid to PSV as the rising cost of Antony became clear. The following January, Gakpo joined Liverpool in a deal worth up to £44million.’
