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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.

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Written by
Matt Law

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Manchester United's Antony in action with Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo on September 8, 2022
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