Man Utd 'itching to get rid of Antony' as escape route appears

Tom Weber

Updated: 13 Mar 2024 13:32 CDT
4 min read

Manchester United flop Antony could return to his native Brazil to help get his career back on track, according to reports.

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The 24-year-old is in the midst of a nightmare season that has cost him his starting spot at Man Utd and could end with him getting offloaded. Still without a single goal contribution in the Premier League this term, Antony is rapidly becoming one of the biggest flops in English football history.

Signed from Ajax for a ridiculous €95 million in 2022, the Brazilian could already depart Old Trafford in the summer. Even his biggest defender, head coach Erik ten Hag, has been forced to admit defeat and give up on his ex-Eredivisie protégé, with Alejandro Garnacho now the undisputed starter on the right wing.

Antony was already being linked with a potential departure in January, but nothing ultimately came of it, with Ten Hag still keeping the faith then. However, the completion of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment and his subsequent taking control of sporting operations has evidently led to a major change.

Antony back to Brazil?

Now, talk in Brazil is ramping up that the winger could return to his home country on loan. As relayed by Sport Witness, the idea is currently being floated in Brazilian media that Flamengo could look to temporarily sign the former Sao Paulo man to help him get back to his best.

It is claimed that the Rio de Janeiro side are 'analysing' whether making an attempt to sign Antony is feasible, with the club hoping that Andreas Pereira's successful loan from Man Utd to the club in 2021/22 can serve as an example that they are a 'good destination' for him.

Journalist Renato Mauricio Prado has since chimed in, claiming that the Red Devils are 'itching to get rid of Antony' and that Flamengo must be keen given that the 24-year-old would be a major upgrade on their current crop of attackers.

Interestingly, the allegations of domestic abuse that were levelled at the player earlier this season could prove to be a major stumbling block. The accusations are still much more of a hot topic in Brazil than they seemingly are in the UK's mainstream media.