The Brazil winger is enormously talented, but often looks one dimensional – United fans are still waiting for him to unlock his true potential
Antony is the most expensive player in the Manchester United squad, the second-most expensive player in the club's history, and the 15th-most expensive player in football history. And yet he hasn't scored a Premier League goal in six months and has no assists in the English top flight.
Indeed, he has registered as many direct goal contributions (goals plus assists) for Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie in only two appearances this season as he has in the league for United in 17 matches.
Even if Antony had been a free transfer or was an academy graduate, these would be alarming statistics.
Wout Weghorst was a free signing on loan and he is widely criticised for the sparse number of goals he has scored in a United shirt.
So when you consider that Antony cost in the region of £85 million ($106m), burning a considerable hole in United's transfer budget and meaning they had no money for permanent signings in January, it is even more baffling…
Getty ImagesGood but not great for Ajax
Antony is a curious player to analyse, and there appears to be a huge disconnect between how highly he is valued by both his club and country, and what he delivers on the pitch.
He was a vital player in Ten Hag's last two Eredivisie title winning sides at Ajax, although his numbers were not exactly outstanding.
He scored eight goals in the 2021-22 season, not bad for a winger, although 27 players scored as many or more than him in the league. He also provided four assists, as many as 40 players in the Dutch top-flight.
Contrast that with his Ajax team-mate Dusan Tadic, who managed 13 goals and 19 assists, or Cody Gakpo, who finished the campaign for PSV Eindhoven with 12 goals and 12 assists.
In the 2020-21 campaign, Antony netted nine goals, putting him among the top 25 scorers in the Dutch top-flight, while his eight assists put him in the top 10 for goal providers.
These are hardly numbers that justify the enormous price United paid for him, and it appears that his £85m transfer fee was driven by a combination of Ajax's unwillingness to let him go and Ten Hag's insistence on getting his man.
Ajax's sporting director Edwin van der Sar admitted to : "We would have liked to keep him here one year longer — there was not a dire need to sell him, we had money in the bank — but the fee got so high. We challenged United to go as far as possible."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesHighly valued by Brazil
Ten Hag is not the only coach to have been seduced by Antony's talents. Since being called up to the Brazil team by Tite for the first time in 2021, Antony has played 16 times for his country.
That is four more times than Real Madrid star Rodrygo, and 10 more than Gabriel Martinelli, who both play in his position.
Admittedly, only three of his appearances came as starts, and he has made the most of his opportunities, scoring in World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Venezuela.
Tite even said he had similar characteristics to Neymar and Vinicius Junior, although both players are much more versatile than Antony, who is predominantly known for one manoeuvre.
GettyA devastating trick – when it comes off
Antony is sensational at cutting in from the right wing and shooting with his left foot. When his trick comes off, it can be devastating for opponents.
Take his goal against Real Betis, which put United back in front early in the second half of the first leg of United's Europa League last-16 tie against the Spanish side.
Or his strike against Manchester City in October, even though United were trailing in that game 4-0 at the time. He scored a number of similar goals at Ajax, turning a defender inside out before curling into the far top corner.
It is a remarkably effective move when it comes off, but it also makes him rather predictable and easy to defend against. And the longer he has spent in England, the less he has been able to pull off his favourite move.
Look at how he began his career with United, becoming the first player ever in the club's history to score in his first three league games, netting against Arsenal, City and Everton.
He hasn't scored in the Premier League since.
Getty ImagesSouthampton expose his limitations
Since netting at Goodison Park on October 9, defences have worked him out and realised that if you can prevent Antony from turning onto his left foot, you seriously limit his threat.
In last month's goalless draw against Southampton, Antony found himself in numerous dangerous positions on the right wing, but had no confidence to take on Romain Perraud or Armel Bella-Kotchap around the outside.
And when he did manage to cut inside, the visitors made sure they had at least one player blocking his path, meaning he ended the game with no shots on goal.
He was even afraid to make short passes with his right foot.
For a top player for Brazil and United, Antony is laughably one-footed, especially in an era when players are increasingly ambidextrous.
