Ten Hag's real view of Antony revealed as 'he tried to block Brazilian's Man Utd move'

Erik ten Hag attempted to block Manchester United’s £85 million signing of Antony in 2022, but was overruled by the club’s hierarchy, according to revelations from his agent Kees Vos.

Contrary to the long-held belief that Ten Hag was the driving force behind the Brazilian’s move from Ajax, Vos states in his new book “Liverpool and the Dutch” that both he and Ten Hag were against completing the deal at such a high price, especially as Arsenal’s interest drove up the fee.

Vos explains that United’s executives were determined to push the transfer through “at all costs,” fearing that Arsenal would secure Antony and strengthen a direct rival.

“Ten Hag and Vos were not in favour of this and wanted to stop the transfer. But the club wanted to push through at all costs, because Arsenal was also interested in Antony,” Vos writes, reported the Mail.

Ultimately, United paid nearly €100 million (£85 million) for Antony, a fee that has since been widely criticized as excessive given the player’s struggles to adapt to the Premier League.

Antony started brightly at United, scoring three goals in his first three appearances, but his form quickly tailed off.

Over two and a half seasons, he managed just 12 goals and five assists in 96 games before being loaned to Real Betis, where he rediscovered some form in La Liga.

United are now seeking to sell Antony this summer, reportedly valuing him at around £21–25 million—less than a third of what they originally paid.

The transfer has become emblematic of United’s recent transfer missteps, with the club’s fear of missing out to rivals leading to a rushed and costly decision.

Despite Ten Hag’s initial reservations, the move has stuck with him throughout his time in Manchester, unfairly linking him to one of the club’s most expensive and disappointing signings.

As United look to offload Antony this summer, Ten Hag’s new club, Bayer Leverkusen, have been linked with a move for the winger, but it remains to be seen if he will reunite with his former manager in Germany