PSV Eindhoven chief feels Manchester United deal with Ajax for Antony “madness”
Marcel Brands, the director of football at PSV Eindhoven, feels the deal between Manchester United and Ajax for Antony was “madness”.
The Red Devils completed one of their biggest transfers, paying £85.5 million to the Eredivisie outfit for the Brazilian in the summer of 2022. Unfortunately, the Old Trafford side were seemingly made to pay over the odds due to the limited time left in the market.
Speaking to Voetbalprimeur (h/t Manchester Evening News), Brands compared United’s deal for the 23-year-old with other clubs last summer. He does not feel the Red Devils parted ways with a normal amount for the forward.
“If you compare it with transfers that were realistic, such as that of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City to Arsenal: that was also around that rate. Those are normal amounts. I think everyone in football knows that Antony was a madness.”
Gabriel Jesus made his way to Arsenal from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 as well. The Gunners paid £45 million to get the centre-forward from Pep Guardiola’s team. The Brazilian has thrived in North London.
Antony’s start to life in the Premier League was impressive. The 23-year-old found the back on his debut against Arsenal. Subsequently, the winger scored in each of his first three English top-flight fixtures.
However, the Brazil international has mostly found life difficult since then. The forward has found it hard to influence games on a consistent basis.
While Antony has been Erik ten Hag’s preferred choice in the right wing, injuries have hampered his development a bit. He has made 29 appearances in all competitions for United, scoring seven goals and providing one assist.
However, Ten Hag has mostly relied on Marcus Rashford for goals up front. The 25-year-old has shouldered the burden of most of the Red Devils’ output in the attack.
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While we did evidently pay a lot to get Antony, it is not his fault. The Brazilian is a quality talent who the Dutch manager trusts. Hopefully, the 23-year-old will be able to realise his potential at the club in the coming years.
