This must bin embarrassing £86 million player about to make way for 22 Year old player and does not make sense
Highlights
Antony has struggled to make any kind of impact in two seasons at Manchester United.
A disappointing second season has led to some calling for the £86m signing to be sold.
Amad Diallo has been touted as a replacement if he can step up from the fringes.
For many Manchester United onlookers, the acquisition of Antony from Ajax has been a signing that hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations. Performing leagues below his £86million price tag, his two seasons at Old Trafford have only seen glimpses of the skill and quality he became synonymous with in Amsterdam.
Instead of a solid stream of goals or contributions, what United fans have seen has included a string of off-field issues and more on-ball spins than reputable stats. Ten Hag and Red Devils’ chiefs will be hopeful the Brazilian can turn it around in his third full term at the club. Yet, that said, there is also reason to believe that his time may be out if nothing changes, as United have a more than capable replacement already at the club.
Lacklustre Antony
Poor form and off-field nonsense
Manchester United’s Antony
Looking like a shell of the player he was in the Netherlands, Antony has largely disappointed in Manchester. A huge contrast to the two-time Eredivisie champion and KNVB Cup winner he was at Ajax, Antony has only been able to muster 11 goals and five assists in 82 games for United. At the Cruyff Arena club, he previously had a record of 22 goals and 24 assists in 82 all-competition games. The differences are quite frankly, stark.
While Ten Hag’s defence of his players has been interesting at times, an £86m player should not flop as hard as Antony – unless the scouts and deal-breakers were just making up estimations to slide across the table to their Dutch negotiators. Such has been the uninspiring exploits of Antony atUnited, Jamie Carragher once raged after the side lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace:
“Shut up and get in. You’ve been beaten 4-0, whispering, talking – honestly, embarrassing.
“His [Antony’s] attitude – moaning at everybody… well done Ten Hag. You may be losing but you don’t throw your arms in the air at your teammates.”
Regardless of the eye-brow raising, crowd-photographer-paying, ball-spinning winger – if United were to shift him for even £20m that would surely be viewed as a plus. And, if that was to happen – they already have a replacement ready to go.
A custom image of France centre-back Leny Yoro
Related
Read on as the 18-year-old’s attributes and weaknesses are analysed, with expectations high for his Premier League arrival from Lille.
‘Magician’ Diallo Raring to Replace Antony
United legend had high praise for the attacker
Manchester United’s Antony celebrates FA Cup goal against Liverpool.
It was recently revealed that Manchester United could be open to sanctioning a loan move for Antony, with Lille said to have raised the prospect in the Leny Yoro negotiations. While that story still develops, Amad Diallo will likely be ready to throw his hat in the ring ahead of the new season.
Diallo, two years Antony’s junior, has been on the fringes of United’s set-up since the season before last’s successful loan at Sunderland in the Championship. After a season that saw 14 goals and three assists in 37 league appearances in the second-tier, Diallo was a large part of the Black Cats play-off charge, before they ultimately lost out to Luton Town in the semi-final stage.
Against the Hatters in the first leg of that tie, Diallo scored a stunning strike. The effort from outside the box soared into the top-left corner and led then-boss Tony Mowbray to dub the prospect a ‘magician’.
“Amad, he’s a magician with his left peg and he’s scored many goals like that this season. So it’s no surprise to anybody. It was a great goal.
“He’s an amazing footballer. He finds the game too easy sometimes. I need to poke him to make sure he’s giving everything for the team because the game’s too easy for him as an individual.”
Rio Ferdinand went one further than old boss Mowbray, claiming that Diallo was the dream option for United’s right side.
“That loan at Sunderland, he left that place a hero, an absolute god. He plays on the right-hand side too, a problem position for United. I know Antony has come in, but he is someone you can look at and say, can he add something a bit different? I would like to see him given another opportunity.”
While readers may point out that he was operating in the Championship – that league is still one of the most fluid, physical, and competitive in Europe. It was the perfect environment for Diallo to prove himself, and to be overlooked by a £200k a week player just frittering away the minutes must have been very frustrating. In addition, Diallo’s 121st minute FA Cup quarter-final winner against Liverpool has further endeared him into the hears of the Manchester United faithful. To conclude, here’s how the two have compared in their most recent full season of competitive football.
Anthony vs Amad Diallo: Last Full Season
Player
League and season
Games
Goals
Assists
Average Rating (Fotmob)
Antony
Premier League (23-24)
29
1
1
6.9
Amad Diallo
EFL Championship (22-23)
37
14
3
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