Erik ten Hag reportedly "did not support" spending £85 million on Antony but Manchester United "pushed through at all costs" to fend off Arsenal.
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Article continues below
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- Man Utd spent big on Antony in 2022
- Followed his manager from Ajax to OT
- Ten Hag was against the transfer
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WHAT HAPPENED?
In a surprising revelation, it has emerged that Ten Hag was not in favour of United's massive investment in the Brazilian in 2022. Antony had played under Ten Hag at Ajax, and the expectation was that the familiarity between the two would ease the transition to Old Trafford and spark immediate results.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
According to multiple reports, it was only after United lost their opening two matches of the 2022–23 Premier League season that the urgency to bring in a high-profile attacker intensified. This urgency translated into action, with then-football director John Murtough submitting three separate bids to Ajax. The final offer was eventually accepted, despite Ajax’s reluctance to lose Antony.
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WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
However, contrary to popular belief, Ten Hag tried to halt the move, as disclosed by Kees Vos, co-founder of SEG, the agency representing Ten Hag.
In the book , Vos states: "Ten Hag and Vos were not in favour of this and wanted to stop the transfer. 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."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Over the course of 96 appearances for United, Antony only managed to net 12 goals and register five assists, figures that drew sharp criticism from fans. His tendency to perform flashy tricks without delivering tangible outcomes made him an easy target for those frustrated with United’s inconsistent performances. By the start of his second season, Antony had begun to fall down the pecking order. His limited impact saw him lose his regular starting role, and in a notable development halfway through his third season, he was loaned out to Spanish side Real Betis.