He will try to open up again at Betis.
Manchester United increased its activity during the winter transfer window in order to improve the health of its workforce as best it could. At the very least, get rid of these footballers on whom Ruben Amorim does not count and who only increase the payroll. For Manchester United This is a relevant reason because Jim Ratcliffe announced a policy of cost reduction in order to avoid problems in meeting financial requirements. The club has already increased ticket prices, 250 people have been made redundant, loyalty programs for other employees have been scrapped and even Sir Alex Ferguson has lost his status as a paid Manchester United ambassador. In this context, it is scary to remember one of the relatively recent transactions – the purchase of Anthony.
One of the worst in history
Today, few would say he is one of Manchester’s worst signings. Of course, debates about the worst always involve a certain approximation and a certain margin of subjectivity. It is quite difficult to assess this with explicit criteria. Furthermore, Manchester United a very rich story in which everything happened. And if the best can be qualified by at least certain objective parameters, measured in objectives, for example, the same cannot be said of the worst. And yet Anthony is a figure around whom there is such consensus.
Of course, by all accounts, the 24-year-old winger’s personal story is a success story. He came from a poor family, grew up in an atmosphere where there was always danger, and it’s not for nothing that the word “favela” is engraved on his boots. He went through a lot to become a Manchester United player and gain worldwide recognition. However, this does not change the fact that when Anthony arrived at Old Trafford, he went to the wrong door.
And it seems that nothing catastrophic happened – what club has not concluded unsuccessful contracts? But there is an additional important factor – its cost. When Anthony moved in the summer of 2022, he was considered a future big star of the Brazilian national team. He signed a deal until 2027, but it is unlikely to go through, as is now believed. The winger got away with it Манчестер Юнайтед for £81.3 million and became the club’s second most expensive acquisition after Paul Pogba. At the time, it was the fourth highest transfer fee paid by an English Premier League club. Fighting for a rising star
Anthony was a priority target for Erik ten Hag. And it seemed logical at the time. They worked together at Ajax, Anthony himself was then at his peak – they had to chase him, fight him against his competitors, because many big clubs wanted the Brazilian at home. Ajax took advantage of this and conducted tough negotiations. But Ten Hag’s desire and Anthony’s own desire to reunite with the coach proved stronger:
Манчестер Юнайтед deposited a tidy sum. It’s interesting what the scouts offered Anthony and Ten Hag’s predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, the Norwegian manager, who praised the Brazilian’s potential, said he would pay no more than £30 million to acquire him. And there weren’t even any negotiations at that point. What if it had worked better? We will never know.
Yes, and immediately after switching to
Manchester United the deal did not appear to be a failure. Anthony became the first United signing in 50 years to score in their opening three league matches. Everything seemed extremely promising. It’s unlikely anyone could have imagined that this starting surge would account for 25 percent of all his goals for the team. Failure story
In 96 appearances for Manchester to date, Anthony has scored 12 goals and provided five assists. He last scored against Barnsley on September 17 in the FA Cup. This meeting ended with a score of 7:0 – only the sloth did not score. And the winger’s last assist took place on April 4, 2024, when Alejandro Garnacho scored from his pass, scoring the third goal in a dramatic meeting with Chelsea (3:4).
Considering Anthony his man, Ten Hag supported the Brazilian until the end. A year and a half after the player’s arrival on the team, after he had not been productive for nine months, the coach continued to believe in the player. At least in public space. At the start of 2024, Ten Hag assured that Anthony can do much more, that he can show himself, he praised the player’s performances for Ajax and expected a return to this level. The Dutchman even mentioned the trial against Anthony, suspected of assault and excluded from the Brazil team. Apparently, this greatly disturbed the player. The case ended in August 2024 and Anthony was never charged.
There was no transformation with the change of head coach. Journalists noticed that during the first training sessions with Ruben Amorim, Anthony was used as a right back. However, the Brazilian did not appear on the field in the first match under the leadership of the Portuguese. In total, under the leadership of Amorim, he entered the field nine times, including twice as a starter. And he never spent more than 60 minutes on the pitch. His last full match was the same match with Barnsley.
From the last match with the participation of Anthony, the only thing that will be remembered is the miss that was scattered in memes during the match against Southampton (3:1). The Brazilian was released at halftime with the score 0:1. In one episode, the winger received a perfect cross and should have just shot into the free corner, but he sent the ball straight into the goalkeeper’s hands. And the replays showed that the ball was not on target at all. This terrible error has spread across social media around the world. And everyone was finally convinced that with
Manchester United Anthony is no longer on his way. He will now try to relaunch his career at Betis. In addition, the complete unloading of the payroll
Manchester United it won’t work. The club will continue to pay 16 per cent of the Brazilian’s £100,000 weekly salary. Maybe a change of scenery will make him rediscover his old talent. Anthony
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