Manchester United Announces Fourth Most Expensive Signing in Premier League History
Manchester United have raided Ajax Amsterdam to secure the services of Brazilian winger Antony for an initial transfer fee worth £82 million. That makes the 22-year-old the fourth most expensive transfer in the history of the English Premier League. New Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag managed Antony at Ajax and is forging ahead with his rebuild of the Old Trafford club. Recent victories over Liverpool and Southampton have seen the feel-good factor return to United. So much so that the odds on United securing a top four finish and Champions League football for 2023/24 have fallen to just +280 with FanDuel, whose welcome bonus is comfortably within the top 10 promotions for US sports bettors at OddsChecker. This is a marked difference from even a few weeks ago, when certain sportsbooks were paying out on ten Hag’s sacking following a humiliating loss at Brentford.
Antony’s United switch is just reward for lighting up the Eredivisie
Antony’s transfer deal also includes a string of add-ons worth an additional £4.3 million to the Dutch Eredivisie champions. Antony has signed a five-year contract, with the club holding an option of extending it by a further 12 months. Antony described the move as an “incredible moment” to sign on the dotted line for “one of the most iconic clubs” in the game.
The Brazilian said he was excited to link up with ten Hag once again, with his “style of football” bringing out “the best in [him]”. After ten Hag signed Antony in a £13 million deal from Sao Paulo, he went on to score 24 goals and rack up 22 assists in 82 competitive appearances for the Dutch giants. His form for Ajax also earnt him a call-up to the senior Brazil team, making his debut against Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier.
It’s not quite the club record £89 million transfer fee that United paid Juventus to secure Paul Pogba in 2016, but the magnitude of the fee does heap pressure on Antony to hit the ground running from day one. As the fifth recruit of the summer transfer window, he is arguably the headline addition as part of ten Hag’s rebuild.
Where will Antony fit in ten Hag’s United system?
The left-footed winger looks most likely to be deployed on the right-hand side of the United attack. It was from this exact position where he struck 20-plus goals for Ajax in two seasons. An inverted forward on the right flank will also help to complement the wealth of right-footed forwards that prefer to cut in from the left.
This means ten Hag will have Rashford, Sancho and Martial to choose for the left-hand side, with Cristiano Ronaldo likely to be the primary central striker.
