Manchester United’s latest target is viewed by Erik ten Hag as the player who could finally see Antony shine.
It’s nearly two years since Manchester United wasted £85 million on Antony and there has been little to show for it other than a handful of moments.
The Brazilian has never looked good enough to be playing in the Premier League and outside of scoring against Arsenal and Man City, plus his assist against Chelsea, it’s pretty much been all bad.
This has seen Erik ten Hag grow weary and Amad Diallo is now the number one right winger at the club.
But now the club are targeting one player who Ten Hag thinks could unlock Antony, it could be a tremendous move if so and see the winger finally make good on his fee.
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Antony could be unlocked by £17m Man Utd target.
Ineos seem willing to let Antony go this summer amid loan links, but if he survives into the 2024/25 season, it could be do-or-die time, with Ineos likely to be more brutal in the following transfer windows.
But he could be thrown a lifeline in the possible arrival of his former Ajax teammate Noussair Mazraoui, a player Antony thrived having behind him.
Now according to The Times, Mazraoui could be United’s next transfer target with Bayern Munich looking for a fee of £17m to £21m in order to let him go.
United will need to wait until Aaron Wan-Bissaka is sold before making a move for the Moroccan defender who Ten Hag knows very well.
Where it gets interesting is that in the eyes of Ten Hag, Mazraoui is the player needed to unlock the potential of Antony at Old Trafford.
Is Mazraoui the player needed to get the best from Antony?
While it’d be wishful thinking to expect this addition to help Antony, after watching him play for two seasons the problems with the winger lie beyond who is at right-back.
Diogo Dalot is an excellent right-back, and yet Antony is atrocious and has been for 95% of his spell at the club thus far.
That being said, if the club are going to give Antony one final chance to prove everyone wrong then this is probably the right move in order to do so.
Whether Antony does benefit or not, Amad stands to be a benefactor considering he’ll have two strong right-backs who thrive on the ball to link up with.