Out-of-form Antony has been 'poorer than last season' at Man Utd

In partnership with

GiveMeSport

·2 de enero de 2024

Out-of-form Antony has been 'poorer than last season' at Man Utd

Highlights

Manchester United forked out £86million in order to sign Antony despite initially valuing him at a far lower figure.
The Brazil international has struggled to live up to expectations and is still searching for his first goal contribution of the season.
The United Stand presenter Beth Tucker believes Antony's performances in the current campaign have been worse than last term.

Manchester United star Antony has been 'poorer than last season' at Old Trafford, but The United Stand presenter Beth Tucker has told GIVEMESPORT why it is too early to describe the Brazilian as a 'bad player'.

Although the Red Devils splashed the cash in order to land Antony - Eredivisie giants Ajax pocketed £86million as they allowed him to reunite with boss Erik ten Hag in September 2022 - he has struggled to make his mark since embarking on the fresh challenge.

OneFootball Videos

The winger has found the back of the net just eight times in 65 Manchester United appearances, which has led to widespread criticism from club legends, pundits and speculation over whether he could move onto pastures new during the remainder of the winter transfer window.

Red Devils spent more than they wanted on Antony

Ten Hag pushed for the acquisition of Antony after his Manchester United reign got off to an underwhelming start, according to The Athletic, and desperation over drafting in reinforcements led to key figures behind the scenes deciding to re-enter negotiations with Ajax after initially insisting they did not want to pay more than £60million.

The report suggests the Red Devils' decision to splash the cash on the former Sao Paulo man, who is on a contract worth £200,000-per-week, came after scouts had initially valued him at £25million when he was being tracked during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's stint in the dugout.

But Antony has failed to live up to expectations and is still searching for his first goal contribution of the campaign, despite being handed 21 appearances as ten Hag continues to keep the faith that he will soon rediscover his best form.

But transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that sections of the fanbase do not share the Dutch tactician's optimism as some supporters fear Antony will not be able to prove he is worth the considerable fee Manchester United spent on his services.

Having seen the 23-year-old hauled off as ten Hag's charges succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in their final clash of 2023, Red Devils legend Gary Neville claimed Antony is worth nowhere near the figure his former side forked out less than 18 months ago.

Although it emerged that a return to Brazil could be on the cards due to Manchester United being willing to include Antony in a swap deal which would have seen Gabriel Barbosa head in the opposite direction from Flamengo, rumours of a mid-season exit have dissipated.

Beth Tucker update - Antony

While Tucker has serious doubts over whether Antony will ever prove his worth at Manchester United, she has insisted that he should not be dismissed as an overrated star as numerous other big names have failed to live up to expectations after they cost a significant fee.

However, the presenter believes the Brazil international's form has nosedived this season, with him being less of a threat than in his debut campaign for the Red Devils, and he needs to rapidly show signs of improvement if he wants to get his Old Trafford career back on track.

Tucker told GIVEMESPORT:

"I don't think he will ever be a player worth close to £90million, from what I've seen. But a lot of players that you buy for that amount of money nowadays aren't. It doesn't mean they are a bad player. "Antony had a good start to his Manchester United career when he obviously scored in his first three games, but he had a poor first season. You accepted that because he was just getting used to the Premier League, was 22 years old and had just come in from the Eredivisie. "I thought he would hopefully build again this season, but he has been really poor. He has been poorer than last season. I know he has had off-the-field problems but, for this sort of money, we need some sort of output."

Man United make risky decision over Varane

Manchester United have decided not to trigger a 12-month extension written into Raphael Varane's deal, according to the Daily Mail, meaning he is already able to pen a pre-contract agreement with an overseas suitor ahead of joining them as a free agent in the summer.

The report suggests the Red Devils have taken the risky decision as they find his £340,000-per-week wages - which makes him the second-highest earner on the club's books - hard to justify, but they are still planning to open talks over fresh terms in the coming weeks as they look to find a compromise on a reduced salary.

In a boost for Manchester United, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently told GIVEMESPORT that Varane is not desperate to bring the curtain down on his Old Trafford career midway through the campaign, meaning a winter departure is not a foregone conclusion.

It is understood that , but the reigning Bundesliga champions are hesitating due to feeling a deal is unrealistic at this stage.

r before the February 1 deadline and, as an alternative, plead for the hierarchy to sanction the signing of a replacement.