“A deal Spurs will regret”: Tottenham on the verge of having an agreement with United as Eric Ten Haag now offers Antony Santos in a swap deal for Tottenham hotspurs star forward [Full Details]
A former Manchester United treble winner has urged Erik ten Hag to sever ties with Antony for the good of the club, while a stunning raid on Tottenham that would work wonders for Rasmus Hojlund has also been touted.
Scoring goals has been among Man Utd’s biggest issues this season. Indeed, only Sheffield United (15), Burnley (21) and Crystal Palace (22) have scored fewer than Man Utd’s mark of 24 in the Premier League this term.
Chief among United’s struggling forwards is Brazilian winger Antony. The 23-year-old cost roughly £85m to sign from Ajax 18 months ago, though has failed to meet expectations.
Antony has dramatically regressed following a mediocre first season at Old Trafford. Despite making 22 appearances across all competitions this term, Antony is yet to score a single goal or provide an assist.
Antony has begun to lose his place in Ten Hag’s strongest eleven of late, with Alejandro getting the nod to start on the right wing in two of United’s last three league matches.
But according to former United treble winner, Dwight Yorke, Ten Hag should take it a giant step further by selling the underfire winger.
In quotes carried by Goal, Yorke – who scored 29 goals in United’s historic 1998/99 campaign – claimed Man Utd must cut Antony loose as soon as possible or run the risk of hamstringing the club further down the road.
Man Utd must ditch “average” Antony – Yorke
“I think back to players who succeeded at Man Utd, and all of them were eager to write their names into the history of the club and they wanted to be a part of the setup,” said Yorke.
“I’m not sure if Man Utd players understand that these days. I don’t think it’s a surprise that Kevin De Bruyne came back and delivered an assist within twenty minutes.
“I’m also not surprised that we’re still talking about Antony and what he brings because he cost £85m.
“There are always going to be question marks when you sign a player for that much, especially when they’re playing for a club like Man Utd.
“Players like Antony will understand they’re not performing as they should. It’s tough for him and I feel for him, but it’s both his and the club’s responsibility if things don’t work out.
“The club has to move these players on as quickly as possible or else they’ll find themselves in the same position every year – having average players signed to long contracts and not contributing what we expect of them.”
Son can be Van Persie 2.0 – Yorke
Man Utd are understood to be in the market for a new striker at some stage in 2024. Among the many players to be linked with the club include Al-Ittihad’s 36-year-old Karim Benzema.
However, Yorke urged Man Utd to avoid that type of move for an ageing legend who’s past his prime. While United have had some success with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in the past, the club clearly did not benefit in the longer term.
Instead, Yorke suggested Man Utd should move heaven and earth to lure Tottenham captain Son Heung-min to Old Trafford.
Yorke claimed Son would have a similar type of impact to that of Robin Van Persie upon his arrival from Arsenal back in 2012. Van Persie only lasted three years at United, though was in his prime at the time of his arrival and helped the club win their last Premier League title in the 2012/13 season.
Yorke also hinted Son’s vast experience and attacking nous could also work wonders for Rasmus Hojlund who remains very much a diamond in the rough.
“I wouldn’t describe Rasmus Hojlund as useless as I feel for the kid and I know he arrived under very difficult circumstances,” continued Yorke.
“He probably has the potential, but he has nobody around him to teach him. There isn’t too much experience in this side.
“I’m not going to point any fingers at Rasmus, and I’d never describe any professional player as useless, let alone a United one.
“Karim Benzema would offer a boatload of experience, but the club has already tried that strategy with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani.
“This approach works OK as these players still have the occasional moment of magic in them, but that’s not where United need to be. They need to buy players like Son – players who can make a difference to your team.
“Sometimes signing older players works and sometimes it doesn’t. Sir Alex knew what he was doing by bringing in Van Persie as he had so much experience in football. Van Persie wasn’t a surprise to anyone as we all knew what he was capable of.”
