- 5 hours ago
Antony to Besitkas: Is this finally Man Utd’s chance to sell transfer flop?
Robin Bairner
- 29 Jul 2024 12:20 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United knew they were overpaying when they spent €95 million to sign Antony from Ajax in the summer of 2022, but they did not realise just how much they were about to be ripped off by the Dutch club.
Erik ten Hag had made the Brazil winger one of his top targets for the summer, and after weeks of probing, United finally matched Ajax’s asking price. Their willingness to buckle was fuelled by their inability to land Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona in an equally lengthy transfer battle. Antony became Man Utd's second most-expensive player ever, trailing only Paul Pogba.
United, though, would have been better keeping their money. Antony has scored only 11 goals and created another five since moving to Old Trafford, despite playing on 82 occasions. After a goal contribution every two games in Amsterdam, this figure has plummeted to one in every five in England.
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Current ETV
Antony
M (R)
Man Utd
Antony
M (R)
Man Utd
ETV Range
€21.5M - €35.8M
Understandably, Man Utd are working to sell the 24-year-old, yet there is a chronic lack of suitors.
But have the Red Devils just been thrown a lifeline?
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Could Antony move to Besiktas?
Social media has come to life over the potential of a bid from Besiktas, which apparently emerges from Ertan Suzgun.
Despite the rumour, though, it is unclear what the original source of the report is. There is no tweet on Suzgun’s X page, while the source often cited is a Besiktas fan account BJK Habers.
“Besiktas have made a move for Antony. The club wants to part ways. Antony wants to stay at Manchester United,” it states.
Instantly, this throws doubt upon the veracity of such claims.
Then there are the finances behind the deal. United will want to claw back as much of the transfer fee as possible, and with Besiktas’ record transfer fee standing at just €11m, a permanent move is impossible. Antony's Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €21.5m - and the likelihood is that the Red Devils will be seeking much more.
How about a loan?
United will want a sizeable chunk of Antony’s not-inconsiderable salary covered if he departs on a temporary basis. ESPN reports that he is being paid €83,000 per week (£70,000), although other sources claim he is on a higher wage.
Such a figure could be attainable by Besiktas. The Turkish side completed a €3m deal to sign Ciro Immobile from Lazio this summer, with the Italy international said to be on €6m per season. Antony wages, if ESPN’s figure is accurate, are worth around €3.6m.
This suggests a loan is possible, but it hinged on Antony being willing to move to Turkey in a deal that would almost certainly signal the end of his career at Old Trafford.
