MX23RW : Wednesday, May 1 01:59:02| >> :60:1615:1615:

Manchester United scouts 'initially valued Antony at £25m'

Manchester United scouts 'initially valued Antony at £25m'
© Reuters
Manchester United scouts initially placed a valuation of £25m on Antony, but the club still decided to pay £85.5m to sign him, according to a report.

Manchester United scouts had reportedly initially placed a valuation of £25m on Antony, but the club still decided to pay £85.5m to sign him during the summer of 2022.

The 23-year-old scored 24 goals and registered 22 assists in 82 appearances for Ajax between 2020 and 2022 before completing a big-money move to the 20-time English champions.

Antony has found it difficult to make his mark at Old Trafford, though, only managing eight goals and three assists in 62 appearances for the club in all competitions.

The Brazil international is yet to get off the mark this season in terms of goals, while he has also not managed a single assist in his 18 outings, 13 of which have been in the Premier League.

The forward has a contract with Man United until June 2027, with the option of a further 12 months, but there is already speculation surrounding his future with Erik ten Hag's side.

Manchester United attacker Antony on August 19, 2023© Reuters

A recent report claimed that the Red Devils might be prepared to let Antony join Real Sociedad on loan in January providing that Japan international Takefusa Kubo moves in the opposite direction.

According to The Athletic, Man United scouts monitored Antony's performances when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge.

Favourable reports were allegedly returned, but scouts are believed to have made it clear that his valuation should be around £25m and certainly not over £30m.

Ten Hag's arrival from Ajax accelerated Man United's interest, and the Red Devils had initially made it clear that they would not pay more than £60m before being forced to meet Ajax's huge asking price before the end of the window due to their desperation to get the deal done.

Manchester United's Antony during the warm up before the match on August 26, 2023© Reuters

Despite Antony's struggles for form, he has remained a regular this season, starting each of Man United's last three Premier League matches.

There is a lack of competition when it comes to the right-side of the team's attack, though, with Marcus Rashford struggling in that area of the field.

Amad Diallo, another option, has not played this season due to injury, while Jadon Sancho has been absent since the start of September due to a falling-out with Ten Hag.

Antony is again likely to feature from the start against West Ham United on Saturday afternoon, with Man United resuming their Premier League campaign at the London Stadium.

ID:531979:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4692:

Antony future - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Antony

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United's Antony in action with Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo on September 8, 2022
Read Next:
Manchester United 'identify Kubo as Antony replacement'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!