MAN Utd are ready to negotiate if any team offers to buy midfielder Antony – the player who joined the “Red Devils” with a transfer fee of 109 million USD.
According to British and Spanish media, Man Utd will find it difficult to recover half the transfer fee they paid for the player 18 months ago. With Antony no longer trusted, the team is willing to take a heavy loss. However, the Brazilian’s recent performance is unlikely to attract interest from other clubs.
Antony in the match between Man Utd and Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium, in the Premier League on May 20, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Antony left Ajax to join Man Utd on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2022, with a transfer fee of 109 million USD, the second highest in the history of the “Red Devils” after Paul Pogba.
The 24-year-old midfielder played well in the early stages of last season, but has declined since then. He has not scored in the Premier League in the last 320 days. This season, the former Ajax midfielder has not scored or assisted in the league through 20 matches.
Antony’s decline has also caused coach Erik ten Hag to stop protecting him, even though he brought his former Ajax student to Old Trafford. In the most recent match, losing 1-2 to Fulham, Antony was benched for 20-year-old striker Omari Forson. When Forson left the field, another young midfielder, Amad Diallo, was brought on instead of Antony. The Brazilian international only played the last minute of injury time, at left-back.
According to Spanish newspaper Fichajes , Man Utd are willing to sell Antony for a transfer fee of 55 million USD. However, fans are worried that no team will pay this amount for the 24-year-old midfielder. His contract with Man Utd will expire in the summer of 2027, but currently no team is interested in this midfielder.
Antony is among a group of more than 10 players who could be sold if the club receives a suitable offer in the summer of 2024. In addition, Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Tom Heaton are out of contract at the end of the season and are unlikely to be renewed. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Facundo Pellistri also have one year left on their contracts and the club have no intention of offering new deals. Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek, Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez are also up for sale.
