The 100 million euro man. Antony will be an instant boost to Manchester United's offence
It’s a rags to riches story if you’ve ever seen one. Antony grew up in the rough suburbs of Osasco, where football seemed to be his one source of joy in the world. When he started playing, he had to secretly borrow his first pair of boots from a shoe shop where his mother was working at the time. The family simply didn’t have the budget to buy him his own.
But no matter what he wore on his feet, he was showcasing his tremendous skills and talent from an early age. He became a teenage sensation in the first team of Sao Paulo, in a side which featured legendary full back Dani Alves. His return of six goals and four assists in 29 matches gave Ajax all the reasons to spend 15.5 million euros on him just before his 20th birthday.
Just like at Sao Paulo, Antony immediately slotted into the starting lineup and became an integral part of the team. He has never been a pure goalscorer, but still managed 11 and 12 goals across all competitions respectively in his two full seasons at the Cruyff Arena, both of which ended with Eredivisie titles. The young Brazilian was the X-factor in Ajax’s already exciting offensive side - fast paced, skillful, strong in one-on-one situations and always looking for unorthodox options to break the defence.
The winger who can do his job on either flank has also starred at international level. In 2020, he was a key member of the Brazil side which claimed olympic gold at the expense of similarly talented Spain. After putting the gold medal (and tattooing it on his body as well), he claimed the World Cup is his next international goal.
“It’s also on my priority list. It would be a dream to play for Brazil in Qatar. And I’m going to work hard for that,” he said.
Brazil of course has immense offensive quality in their squad with the likes of Neymar, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior or Richarlison. But Antony’s wish might be close to reality nonetheless. Head coach Tite is a big fan. “He shares the characteristics of Neymar,” he said of the young winger.
EVERYTHING ABOUT MONEY
A headline-grabbing move to Old Trafford should only increase the chances of Antony booking his ticket to Qatar. After tough negotiations, Manchester United agreed to spend 100 million euros on the young man from Osasco, making him their second most expensive signing ever behind Paul Pogba (105 million in 2016). Fans of the Red Devils should only hope this move works out better than the one for the extravagant French midfielder.
It didn’t come without drama though, as Antony refused to be included in Ajax’s matchday squad and only reported to training in order to not be fined. "Nowadays, everything is about money and I think this is sad. I don't approve that these things are happening to us," head coach Alfred Schreuder said after Ajax’s win at Utrecht over the weekend, already knowing his wish of keeping Antony in Amsterdam will not be fulfilled.
"I'm not asking Ajax to release me, I'm asking Ajax to sell me with the highest bid ever for Eredivisie player,” the winger himself has said in an interview with Fabrizio Romano. “I've been insisting on this theme since February so that the club could rebuild the team with peace of mind".
The 100 million euro arrival of Antony to Old Trafford is the exciting climax of Manchester United’s biggest transfer window ever. A little over 243 million euros has been spent on the Brazilian winger, his former Ajax teammate Lisandro Martinez, fellow Brazilian Casemiro and Dutch full back Tyrell Malacia. Christian Eriksen also arrived on a free transfer.
TOPPING THE CHARTS
Erik ten Hag, who knows Antony very well from their two years in Amsterdam, is expected to put the Brazilian into the starting lineup almost instantly. The move will allow the Dutch manager to move Marcus Rashford from the wing to a centre forward position, where the Englishman flourished in the 2-1 win over Liverpool.
As numbers from Planet Football suggest, Antony should provide an instant boost to United’s offence. He creates 1.9 chances and completes 2.2 successful dribbles per 90 minutes - exactly matching Jadon Sancho, who tops both categories for United. He also completes 53 passes per 90 minutes, while the best player in the Red Devils’ offence - Sancho again - is the only one in the squad who averages more than 40 (44.2 to be exact). And despite the fact he’s not a clear-cut goalscorer, he also takes 4.1 shots per 90 minutes, beating United’s most frequent shooter Cristiano Ronaldo by 0.1.
Seeing Antony top offensive charts must be very exciting for Manchester United fans. Now they have to hope that he will follow the footsteps of Ruud van Nistelrooy rather than Memphis Depay as another addition from the Eredivisie, which has famously been hit or miss for Premier League sides. “My goals are to become a champion, to make history, grow as a footballer, and to be an example on and off the pitch. And maybe, in the future, who knows, enter the race to be crowned the best in the world.” he told The Guardian in December 2020. Fans at Old Trafford certainly hope his aspirations can become reality in the red shirt.