Erik ten Hag reportedly attempted to halt Manchester United’s £85 million move for Antony in 2022, despite the Brazilian being one of his former players at Ajax. According to fresh claims, Ten Hag was against the deal once he joined United, but the club pressed ahead out of fear that Premier League rivals Arsenal would step in.
Antony joined United alongside Lisandro Martinez during Ten Hag’s first summer at Old Trafford, with Tyrell Malacia and later Matthijs de Ligt also brought in from the Eredivisie. But while Martinez impressed, Antony struggled to justify his massive transfer fee, delivering only five goals and three assists over two Premier League seasons.
After failing to start a single league match this season under Ten Hag before his sacking in October, Antony was loaned to Real Betis in January by new manager Ruben Amorim. His resurgence in La Liga has sparked debate over whether the problem was the player himself or the environment at United.
Despite being widely seen as a major supporter of Antony’s move, it’s now believed Ten Hag initially opposed the transfer but was overruled by club executives, who feared losing the winger to Arsenal. Still, the Dutch coach reportedly remained supportive of Antony during his tough spell at Old Trafford.
