It is anticipated that Manchester United will allow Antony permission to leave the club on loan during the January transfer window. Additionally, the long-term future of Antony at Old Trafford is uncertain at this time.
We got off to a wonderful start.
One may argue that this is the most unusual aspect of the intriguing situation involving Antony and Manchester United football club. After making a blockbuster transfer from Ajax, the 24-year-old forward got off to a strong start, scoring goals in each of his first three Premier League appearances.
However, the aims were shortly exhausted. During the time leading up to his relocation, the dancing feet that went popular on social media became irregular and burdensome. As early as the second part of the 2022-23 season, it became abundantly evident that the Brazilian was not the game-changing £85 million signing that had been hyped as being just a few months earlier.
With regard to the past two years, there has been no change. In addition, despite the player’s great posture throughout the most recent transfer windows, which was to desire to remain with the team and fight for his position, it appears, thankfully, that he will be able to take a break in the coming months by going on loan to Real Betis.
There is an urgent need for rehabilitation for a player who was successful in the Eredivisie while playing for Erik ten Hag, but who failed to thrive in the Premier League, where he contributed only 17 goals over the course of two and a half seasons while playing for the red team.
In addition, when you take away the cheap tactics, the showman who was able to confuse opponents in Holland has, for the most part, been predictable and ineffectual when it comes to United’s possession of the ball.
Paul Scholes, a legendary player for Manchester United, criticised Antony for his showboating during his first season at the club. Scholes considered Antony to be a “one-trick pony” during his time with the club. At the time, it was regarded to be extremely cruel.
In the aftermath of United’s victory over Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League in October, Scholes made the following statement: “I love a little bit of showboating and entertainment, but at least get the pass right.”
“Any country, including Brazil, including this country. Is it true that they do not wish to witness that? It’s not that I don’t enjoy watching others demonstrate their abilities and entertainment; I simply don’t believe it’s that. It’s just that they’re clowning around.
The issue, however, is more about what we haven’t seen from Antony, and that is what we are concerned about. If we are to be really honest, the reason he has not been able to repeat his form in the Eredivisie on these shores is straightforwardly due to the vast difference in quality that exists between his previous league and the Premier League. Additional evidence of this may be seen in Ten Hag himself as well as in some of his other signings.
Antony has become the poster boy of the club’s terrible recruitment strategy because to the inflated transfer cost, despite the fact that he is not the only player who has failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford in recent years. In fact, he is not even close to being the only player doing so.
Over the course of the past 18 months, it has not come as a surprise to witness Antony sinking further and farther down the Old Trafford pecking order. The fact that Alejandro Garnacho was able to overcome him under Ten Hag, who was among his most ardent supporters, was a clear indication of the impending situation. Many people believed that the subsequent appearance of Amad was the final blow to Antony’s career at Manchester United. This was especially true when considering the fact that his only goal contributions up to the middle of March of the previous season were recorded against Newport County of League Two playing in the FA Cup.
His transfer to La Liga is a loan, not a permanent move. When Ruben Amorim is in charge, it is difficult to imagine any possibility for him to return to his previous position. There are those who believe that Antony’s tireless effort off the ball might make him a good candidate for the wing-back position, despite the fact that the Portuguese coach does not deal with traditional wide positions.
However, Antony has lost all of his opportunities. In the end, it appeared as though even Ten Hag had given up on him. Furthermore, if they were able to do this after making him a star at Ajax, then there would be no need for Ineos or Amorim to continue working with him.
It would appear that a permanent parting of ways is the most obvious choice. Undoubtedly, that will result in monetary hardship for all parties concerned. On the other hand, a clean break would be beneficial to all parties involved, and perhaps it would be worth paying for.
