Erik ten Hag faces consequences of ignoring Edwin van der Sar's Man Utd warning
Erik ten Hag has spent around £600million on 15 permanent signings since taking charge of Manchester United in 2022 - with winger Antony the most expensive of the lot
Erik ten Hag has spent a whopping £600million on 15 permanent signings since he arrived at Manchester United in 2022.
But it's winger Antony who has grabbed the title as the most expensive buy in the Dutchman's spree and also ranks as the second most expensive player in Red Devils history. The club forked out £85m to lure him away from Ten Hag's old stomping ground, Ajax, only to see his impact quickly fizzle out.
With a measly five-goal tally and three assists from 56 appearances in the Premier League, it's all been a bit flat for the Brazilian superstar, particularly considering that trio of assists dropped in his first three league appearances. Edwin van der Sar, a United icon and Ajax's top dog when they snapped up Antony, did question their decision to sign him for such a high price.
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Despite claiming that United had bagged themselves a "potential world star", he admitted Ajax could've done with him honing his skills for another year under their watchful eye. But United's bulging purse spoke and in the end, Ajax couldn't turn down the sizable sum they were offering.
In a chat with The Athletic post-transfer, Van der Sar admitted: "We would have liked to keep him here one year longer - there was not a dire need to sell him, we had money in the bank - but the fee got so high. We challenged United to go as far as possible," reports the Mirror.
Antony, however, hasn't quite lit up Old Trafford as expected, and he's seen more bench than ball this season, his sole start coming in a 7-0 Carabao Cup thrashing of League One Barnsley last month. In the meantime, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Amad Diallo have all left him trailing in their dust when it comes to leading the frontline.
"He is fighting, fighting for his position," Ten Hag commented on Antony's struggle for match action. "That's what we expect from every player in the squad at Manchester United, what they should do.
"Of course he's impatient. He wants to play and he's fighting to play. That is professional football, that is top football. Those are the laws. You pick the team that you think has the most chance to win a game.
"The players have to fight for their positions. You pick the XI who have the best dynamic and the best chemistry. So he has to earn the right in training but the others are doing really well. He has to get over them.
"Now he has to bounce back and he has the ability to do it. If he is doing the right thing, he can make competition with them."