Over the past decade, Manchester United have faced serious failures in transfer work. In particular, the €100 million deal to bring Antony from Ajax to Old Trafford became the clearest example of expensive mistakes and poor management.
Teams have always tended to raise player prices when the "Red Devils" expressed interest, a phenomenon called " Manchester United tax". In fact, it shows that the Manchester team itself created this problem because they were willing to pay a higher price than necessary.
When Antony was playing for Ajax, the Man United scouting team valued this player at only 25 million Euros. However, under pressure from Erik ten Hag, the Old Trafford team raised the price to 100 million Euros, 4 times the original value.
In the summer of 2022, after Ten Hag took over the club, Man United struggled from the first matches. Two consecutive defeats against Brighton and Brentford caused the team's leadership to panic. Meanwhile, Ten Hag insists Antony is a key piece in his tactical plan.
With CEO Edwin van der Sar's toughness, Ajax seized the opportunity to push prices to record levels. Instead of withdrawing to seek another option, Man United have accepted the Dutch side's request. They agreed to pay an additional €35 million in the final days of the transfer window to sign Antony.
Antony made an impressive debut with a goal against Arsenal, helping Man United win 3-1. However, it was just a rare moment of brilliance in his career at Old Trafford. So far, Antony has only scored 5 goals and 3 assists in 62 Premier League matches.
The 24-year-old star's form has disappointed fans. Antony often lost the ball, could not get past the opposing defender and lacked creativity. Negative images such as a 360-degree turn and taking the ball out of bounds in the match against Sheriff Tiraspol became a disgrace.
off-field problems have also made the situation worse. Antony is being investigated for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Although the Brazil case has closed, the UK investigation is still ongoing. These troubles further undermine his form and the club's confidence in him.
The Antony deal was not only a commercial failure but also caused great financial losses for Man United. After 3 years of contract, the Brazilian star's remaining value on the books is 30 million Euros. However, selling him at this price is impossible, especially considering the sky-high salary that the striker born in 2000 is receiving.
If Man United are forced to sell Antony for a lower price, they will suffer an additional loss of more than 10 million Euros in financial reports. This has pushed the club into a situation where it has to sell promising young talents such as Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho to balance the budget.
The failure of the Antony deal is not the only case. It is the product of a decade of mistakes in the transfer strategy of the team's leadership. Many high-value contracts have failed to meet expectations such as Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba or recently Casemiro.
While other big teams like Liverpool or Man City build their squads based on careful and accurate calculations, Man United are often in a hurry, lacking in plans and under the pressure of short-term dominance.
To return to their original position, the "Red Devils" need to build a long-term strategy, focusing on developing young talent and looking for more reasonable contracts. Most importantly, the team needs to avoid decisions based on emotions and pressure from the outside.
Antony may be just one of many mistakes, but if he does not change, Man United risks continuing to be stuck in the vicious cycle of failure.
