With Antony’s dismal showing coming into the New Year, Sir Jim Ratcliffe might take a severe stance against the Manchester United forward.
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If Ratcliffe’s £1.3 billion plan for a 25% minority share in the club is approved in the next few days, he will be in charge of athletic operations at Old Trafford. Additionally, the Ineos CEO is already outlining strategies to transform United both inside and outside the pitch.
Ratcliffe will probably concentrate on altering the Erik ten Hag situation, but he will also be looking to trade players in front of the January transfer market, as three underwhelming players are rumored to be in play.
The Sun claims that Ratcliffe sees Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial as expendable and that they might be cut during the winter window. Since arriving at Old Trafford, none of the three have lived up to the hype; Sancho, in particular, has been barred from using any first-team facilities and is no longer selected after a falling out with Ten Hag.
With a contract for £82 million, Antony became United’s star recruit last summer after shining in the Eredivisie under Ten Hag at Ajax. However, the Brazilian winger hasn’t been able to duplicate the form that impressed United in Amsterdam.
During a difficult first season in the Premier League, he contributed just six goals. He is yet to open his account in the 2023–24 campaign, where he has come under increasing criticism from both fans and analysts.
Due to Antony’s dramatic departure from Ajax, there were audible applause from the visiting United supporters when he was replaced in the team’s 1-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
After the game, Rio Ferdinand, a former defender for Manchester United, gave the winger a hard time, saying to TNT Sports, “You could smell the frustrations let alone hear it.” He’s played 11 games this season and has not scored a goal or assisted a goal; that’s not good enough for an attacking player.
“Today, you have to consider Willian, a 35-year-old on the opposing wing; if you were unaware of their ages and professional paths, you would definitely choose Willian. Going by what you’re seeing at the moment, you’d definitely go Willian.
“He needs to get much better. If Antony starts before Alejandro Garnacho when Marcus Rashford returns, which should happen in the next game, Garnacho will be scratching his head.
“A team needs a competitive edge, but if a player is holding you back from making the team, you want to know that person is making an influence on the game and scoring goals or setting up assists. You couldn’t argue right now if Antony were to leave the game, in my opinion.”
