Report: Manchester United Decides to Offload Underperformer Amid Interest from 3 European Clubs

Premier League giants Manchester United have reportedly decided to offload Antony in the January transfer window. The Brazilian’s former club, Ajax, as well as Premier League duo Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, are reportedly eyeing up a move for him.

Antony Has Failed to Live up to Expectations

Record 2o-time English champions Manchester United began a major squad revamp under manager Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2022, unhesitantly splurging on players the Dutchman deemed important to his system. Thanks to his past association with Ajax, Ten Hag naturally turned to the Dutch outfit in search of an attacking player that could thrive at Manchester United. He seemingly found all he was looking for in right-winger Antony, who joined the Red Devils for a massive €95 million ($103.8 million) fee in August 2022.

Joining United on the back of a fine season at Ajax, Antony was expected to set the Premier League alight with his pace, dribbling ability, and finishing. But the reality turned out to be a lot underwhelming. Playing 25 league games, Antony only managed to score four times in his debut season.

Antony still got the benefit of the doubt due to the major transition he had to go through, but things only went downhill in his second season in England. In 2023-24, Antony only managed to amass three goals and two assists in 38 games in all competitions, getting a lot of flak for his poor showings. He has had a mediocre start to 2024-25 as well, with him scoring just one goal in four games across competitions.

Manchester United Makes Antony Decision, 3 Clubs Interested

Rumors about Antony’s future at Manchester United have been steadily growing over the last few months. According to CaughtOffside, Man Utd has finally decided to take a step to fix the Antony situation. As per the source, the club is preparing to part ways with Antony this January itself, either on loan or permanently. However, given how much Antony has struggled in recent months, not many clubs would want to risk a permanent transfer in January, making a loan move the more probable option.

Premier League duo Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are both interested in bolstering their attack in the January transfer window, and Antony is on their shortlist. Ajax is also keeping a close eye on Antony’s situation and is reportedly open to bringing him back.

Antony could rediscover his groove by going to Ajax, whereas stints at either Newcastle or Palace would probably be better for his CV. It will be interesting to see how this saga unfolds in the coming months.