Manchester United have come under fire for their decision to pay what will be the second-highest fee in their history to land Antony from Ajax.
The Brazilian forward has been the subject of intense speculation for several weeks, with Erik ten Hag recently making him his No.1 priority. United’s new manager has already made four signings this summer, with Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro.
And the deal for Antony is also as good as done, with Sky Sports reporting that the deal is now in place. However, the transfer is hitting United hard in the pocket as his transfer set them back around £86m.
This deal will see the player link up with Ten Hag again, with Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder firing the player a parting shot.
In fact, the Amsterdammers have pushed United to the end of the signing. Having fended off two bids, it seems the Dutch giants continued to raise the bar as the deadline approached.
And after initially valuing the player at around £60million, United have been forced to dig deep to secure his transfer.
Questioning the wisdom of his signing and the fee paid, pundit Kevin Campbell believes Ajax have had United’s eye.
“I’ll tell you what, Ajax can negotiate, can’t they?” Campbell told Football Insider. “They have been incredible.
“Man United have got Martinez for just under £60m, and now Antony has signed for £85-86m.
“That’s a lot of money. The manager knows him, yes, but he doesn’t really have a resume.”
Campbell not convinced by Man Utd’s Antony play
Antony will hope to make his United debut in Sunday’s Premier League game against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
A lot of eyes will be on him, not just on Sunday, but how he performs for the rest of the season.
United had also chased Cody Gakpo, whose goal and assist record was far superior to Antony’s last season in the Eredivisie.
Ultimately, Ten Hag has been adamant that it is Antony who should be the focus for United and will have been delighted to get his man.
That fee will rank as the club’s second-biggest transfer signing of all time, just behind the £89.3m spent on Paul Pogba.
Campbell, however, is not convinced his signing is good for United.
“There’s nothing to suggest he’s going to make a difference to United, goals-wise.”
“He doesn’t have that record, although he seems like a good player.
“We’ll see – he could hit the ground running and be a superstar. But it’s a huge fee for someone who doesn’t have a great goal record.”
Antony’s behavior was questioned
By forcing a move, Antony’s behavior has left a bit of a sour taste in Ajax’s mouth.
Indeed, he has often been a controversial figure during his time in the Netherlands, often hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons.
His coach at Ajax, Schreuder, will certainly not regret putting the saga behind him.
“Certainly. [It’s] Not good. It’s a shame it happened,” Schreuder told Voetbal International. “Personally, I think it’s bad. I think it’s strange. He was finally told about it.
“If you’re Ajax, it’s bad that this happened. I understand if you’re disappointed for a day or two, but you’re also a professional.
“But in a few days you’ll understand what’s going on. Then I’ll go on with the boys who are there.”
The signing of Antony will take United’s summer spending through the £214m barrier. While the Glazer family remain a source of anger and annoyance from the United faithful, their support for the managers on the transfer front cannot be questioned.
Meanwhile, United could be looking to balance the books with three more players with the possibility of leaving before Thursday’s 11pm deadline.