Erik ten Hag's feelings on Antony become clear after brutal Man City snub

05 November 2023 , 09:58

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Erik ten Hag's feelings on Antony become clear after brutal Man City snub

Antony only arrived at Manchester United 12 months ago but it already feels as though the £82million winger may be on borrowed time.

The 23-year-old tore up the Eredivisie at Ajax under Erik ten Hag, who paid a premium price to bring the Brazil international with him to Old Trafford. But Antony has struggled to replicate his dazzling form in the Premier League during a difficult maiden year at United.

There have been little to no signs that a turnaround is coming this season, either, with Antony yet to register a single goal contribution despite making 11 appearances in all competitions. And while Ten Hag may be a fan of the winger, it appears as though his patience may be waning.

Mirror Football outlined on Saturday night that United are willing to send Antony on loan to Flamengo for the second half of the season as a sweetener in a bid to try and lure Gabriel Barbosa to Manchester. The Brazilian striker has plundered 18 goals in all competitions and would be available for a cut-price fee with his contract set to expire in 2024.

Financial Fair Play restrictions mean United will have to be inventive with if they are to do business, hence why Antony could be used in any deal. And while his exit would only be a temporary one, the fact that Ten Hag is willing to sanction such a move just one year after bringing him to Old Trafford speaks volumes.

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United's willingness to offload Antony comes just a week after he played for just four minutes in the Manchester derby - even though United were in desperate need of goals.

Join the debate! Do you think Man Utd should cut their losses on Antony? Let us know here.

Antony struggled to make an impact against Fulham and was booed off (Manchester United via Getty Imag)

After being seen glum-faced on the bench, Antony was introduced in the dying moments of the game. But with City already 3-0 up, Ten Hag's decision to introduce the winger for the briefest of cameos felt pointless.

Antony was restored to the starting line-up for United's must-win trip to Fulham on Saturday. Bruno Fernandes struck at the death to bank three precious points but it was another difficult afternoon for Antony.

After struggling to make any sort of impact on the game, he was withdrawn on the hour mark and appeared to be booed as he trudged off the pitch. While he is far from the only United player out of sorts at the moment, it remains to be seen if he will retain his place in the starting XI for the crunch Champions League game against FC Copenhagen in midweek.

Dan Marsh