A sensational new report has now claimed that former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag tried to block the signing of Antony, rather than endorse it.
The new Bayer Leverkusen boss is widely reported to have been a key figure in the £86million acquisition of the Brazil forward back in 2022, when United welcomed Ten Hag to the dugout.
He was not the only player to make the move from Ajax, joining Argentina centre back Lisandro Martinez in joining United, with Tyrell Malacia (Feyenoord), Cristian Eriksen (free) and Casemiro (Real Madrid) also signing on.
However, the move has hardly gone as planned, with Antony yet to deliver on the huge outlay splashed on his services, and was recently sent out on loan to Real Betis after struggling to break into Ruben Amorim’s set up.
As such, it had appeared to reflect badly on Ten Hag given the claims that he had been a key part of the signing, yet the co-founder of the manager’s agency, has claimed in a new book that they tried to block the move.
‘Ten Hag and Vos were not in favour of this and wanted to stop the transfer,’ writes Kees Vos of the Antony transfer in the book, Liverpool and the Dutch.
A sensational new claim suggests Erik ten Hag tried to block Man United’s move for Antony
The former United boss has been named as Xabi Alonso’s replacement at Bayer Leverkusen
Ten Hag, Lisandro Martinez (left) and Antony joined United from Ajax in the summer of 2022
‘But the club wanted to push through at all costs, because Arsenal was also interested in Antony.
‘The risk of a stronger competitor would be great. Ultimately, Manchester United paid almost 100 million euros for Antony.
‘Although Ten Hag did not support this transfer, it stuck with him throughout his entire time in Manchester that he took over the attacker from Ajax for this ill-fated amount, who was never able to fulfil his promise.’
Antony’s stint at Old Trafford has thus far been far from inspiring, with just 12 goals and five assists in 96 games for the Red Devils.
Yet a brief sojourn in Seville in the second half of the season seems to have reinvigorated the player, who came up with 14 contributions in 26 appearances – just five shy of his entire United tally in nearly a quarter of the time.
However that could come to help United this summer as they look to move him on, and an upturn in form may at least have reminded potential suitors that there is at least a talented attacker still in Antony.
Rene Meulensteen, who worked under Ferguson between 2007 and 2013, has ripped into wingers Antony and Alejandro Garnacho, insisting they must be the first to go.
Incredibly, Meulensteen also brutally labelled Antony, who spent the six months of the season on loan at Real Betis, ‘selfish’ while declaring Garnacho is ‘bad’ for United.
Antony’s underwhelming transfer was seen as one of the symbols of Ten Hag’s tenure
The Brazilian failed to fit in under Ruben Amorim before being sent out on loan in January
Though he lost the Conference League final to Chelsea Antony impressed while at Real Betis
He also claimed Ajax were ‘doing cartwheels’ after agreeing to sell Antony for a whopping £80million in August 2022 – with United now braced for a significant loss.
‘I wouldn’t bring Antony back because I’ve seen enough of him that he’s not cut out for the club and not good enough,’ Meulensteen told Tipman Tips. ‘His performances are fuelled by his personality and are not for the good of the team, he’s selfish.
‘You will never get your £80m back from Antony. I thought it was stupid business at the time when I heard it was happening.
‘I know that when they heard about the deal in Amsterdam, they were doing cartwheels. It shows again that players in those lower leagues, like Holland, are completely different. They’re playing very different styles, a slower tempo.
‘Teams like Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord are the best, so it’s easy for them to look good.
‘But coming into the Premier League is so much different. What is Antony’s return? How many goals and assists has he got? He’s probably got as many, if not more, in Spain than in England, that different kind of football is more ideal for him.’
