The past week at Manchester United has been dominated by the headline that Marcus Rashford has been left out of the Manchester Derby and subsequent Carabao Cup quarter-final game against Tottenham Hotspur. The 27-year-old academy product suggested that he is ready for a new challenge, leading to further speculation over his future.
Amid this chaos and controversy at the club, another player whose future is being scrutinized is Brazilian winger Antony. The 24-year-old came off the bench to play 13 minutes against Manchester City and played 55 minutes before being taken off against Tottenham.
In both games, Antony failed to impress. He didn’t offer much going forward while he remained passive in his defensive duties. The energy, fighting spirit, and willingness to track back that have often been associated with Rashford were apparent in the former Ajax man as well.
Antony's Manchester United Future In Doubt
Speaking on CBS Sports after the Tottenham game former Watford striker Troy Deeney stated that Manchester United “ should cut ties” with Antony. “ I don’t want to make him the scapegoat but it is so frustrating watching him. He doesn’t run, he doesn’t sprint, he doesn’t really add any value, just get him out,” he said.
Antony arrived from Ajax two years ago with a huge transfer fee of £86 million spent by former manager Erik ten Hag. However, the Brazilian has been far from impressive and struggled to replicate his amazing Eredivisie form. He has played in 48 league games since his arrival but has only managed to score 5 goals and provide 3 assists. His only goal this season has come in the EFL Cup.
When asked about the player’s situation Ruben Amorim said (via GOAL):
"He needs more confidence. If you remember Antony at Ajax, he lacks a little bit of confidence to go one-on-one, so he will improve. But he's working hard, he's trying, he's playing more inside than outside. You have to do that to work hard and that will help him to be a better player."
There haven’t been any concrete transfer links around Antony so far but if he doesn’t manage to turn around his form quickly it isn’t hard to imagine that he will be on the outgoing list of the Portuguese head coach.