Manchester United star Antony poised for cut-price exit, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe revolution begins: report
Manchester United star Antony has underwhelmed since a €100m move from Ajax
Manchester United reportedly want to offload Antony to a new club at the next opportunity after the winger's failure to make a significant impact at Old Trafford.
Brazilian international Antony has at least been a regular in Erik ten Hag’s side since arriving in summer 2022, but has struggled to have the impact Manchester United would have expected from their £82m signing from Ajax, claiming just eight goals and three assists in 66 appearances for the club to date.
He's far from the only misfiring attacker who has an uncertain future in Manchester, either.
Jadon Sancho fell out with manager Erik ten Hag back in September, when the winger publicly repudiated the Dutchman’s claims that Sancho had been left out of his side’s to face Arsenal due to underperformance in training. Sancho had found his starts increasingly limited even before then, and is now back on loan with former club Borussia Dortmund.
With Premier League clubs increasingly having to balance their player acquisitions with sales to stay in line with the league’s profit and sustainability rules, it would therefore add up if United wanted to find new homes for the duo – particularly with incoming investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe keen to oversee something of a renaissance at the club.
The Standard have claimed that United have offered Sancho and Antony to clubs in the Saudi Pro League in a bid to bolster fresh transfer funds, writing that director of football John Murtough set about schmoozing league officials at last month’s Club World Cup. Saudi transfer budgets are said to be limited this month, but it is hoped that purse strings will re-open in the summer.
They add that Casemiro is likely to attract attention and that United may be amenable to bids, while Raphael Varane looks set to be available on a free transfer after reports earlier this month that the club had opted not to trigger a one-year extension clause that would have kept him at Old Trafford until summer 2025.
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Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.