With another dismal start and continuous lackluster performances, Manchester United winger Antony might have played his last game for the club, as the management is looking for a loan move.
Brought in from Ajax under Erik ten Hag, fans with Man UTD tickets had doubts about the Brazilian from the start.
Despite his skillful displays of dribbling, he’s been mediocre, considering his expensive price tag.
Antony Situation
Antony is pushing for a loan move away from Old Trafford and may have played his last game for the club. He joined the Red Devils for £85.5million two years ago on a five-year deal worth a reported £200,000 per week.
But he has failed to settle at Old Trafford and has played just one minute in the Premier League this season.
The 24-year-old has found himself behind Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Amad Diallo in the pecking order – though Jadon Sancho has left the club.
Antony has played 83 times for the Man Utd, scoring 11 goals. The fans with Man UTD tickets were not happy.
Erik Ten Hag pushed to sign the star after working with him at Ajax.
However, a loan switch is now seen as a pathway to revitalizing his career, and Mourinho’s Fenerbahce could be the perfect place for that.
He will team up with fellow ex-United star Fred who is with the Turkish Super Lig giants.
They are set to face United in the Europa League on October 24.
United Looking for Strong January Signings
A report revealed Manchester United’s next four planned signings, which include not one but two England internationals.
Man United signed five new players during the summer transfer window: Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte.
And the club plans to recruit heavily next summer ahead of the 2025/26 season.
According to a report from the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils’ provisional plan is to sign a center-back, a left-back, a midfielder, and a winger.
Moreover, two England internationals are thought to be on their radar.
Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite have both been named in the transfer report.
Eze, named in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, is among the forwards Man United is monitoring ahead of next summer’s transfer window.
The 26-year-old had been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park during the summer transfer window but remained at the club.
Man United are expected to continue their pursuit of Branthwaite, who made his England debut before Euro 2024, having failed to sign him this summer.
They tabled two offers for the 22-year-old, both of which were rejected by Everton, who valued him at around £70 million.
Even though Yoro and De Ligt arrived at Man United this summer, the club is looking at reinforcing its center-back options, with Victor Lindelof set to be released at the end of the season.
Eze, whose release clause is £68 million, and Branthwaite are both under contract with their respective clubs until 2027.
Despite the signing of Ugarte, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer worth up to £50.7 million, at ‘least one central midfield incoming is planned’ in the summer of 2025.
Christian Eriksen is set to be let go when his contract expires in June, while Casemiro continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford amid his decline.
The fans with Man UTD tickets applauded when Casemiro joined the club but eventually hated the former Real Madrid midfielder, who has been the team’s worst player recently.
Man United, which has Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on its books, also wants a specialist left-back.
Shaw, however, has not played for his club since February 18, while Malacia has been out of action for nearly 15 months.
Why did Leny Yoro join United?
A report claims that Leny Yoro joined Manchester United over Real Madrid this summer after being disappointed by the Spanish side’s contract offer.
Yoro entered the final year of his contract with Lille and was widely expected to join Madrid after months of reports claiming he had his heart set on moving to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer or on a free transfer.
With Madrid reluctant to meet Lille’s demands and instead banking on pressure from Yoro to lower their asking price, United swooped in and struck a £52m deal to sign the center-back. The center-back suffered a foot injury during his pre-season debut and has been sidelined.
According to MARCA, Madrid did try to sign Yoro but challenged the 18-year-old to prove his desire to join by rejecting offers from elsewhere. The La Liga giants offered him a contract worth around €2.5m (£2.1m) per season.
United, however, offered Yoro a deal worth €9.5m (£8m), enough to convince him to move to Old Trafford instead.
However, United has a reputation for overhyping the price tag for players, and those with Man UTD tickets hope this isn’t a time like that.
Madrid felt they already had enough defense options and did not need to break their budget for Yoro, who declined their ultimatum and signed a five-year contract with United, including the option for a further 12 months.
Yoro has not been seen since his pre-season injury, which forced him to undergo surgery. However, he was recently spotted walking without crutches as he continues progressing toward recovery.
Going Back in Time – Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney pulled on the famous red shirt of Manchester United again for a charity match on Saturday – but his cameo left fans all around the world feeling mighty old.
The former England star, 38, is United’s record goalscorer after spending over a decade at Old Trafford before hanging up his boots in 2021.
Rooney, who has since gone into management and is currently head coach of Plymouth Argyle, was one of a number of former stars who pulled on their boots for the match pitting United’s legends against Celtic’s in aid of the MU Foundation.
And while Rooney rolled back the years with a typically classy goal in the first half, seeing him on the famous Old Trafford pitch again left some people feeling their age.
Others were surprised by his appearance. While there were some harsher comments, the majority were pro-Rooney. One said: “No man has wintered as well as Wayne Rooney,” while another quipped: “I love how old he looks. Proper footballer.”
Rooney was substituted in the second half for former team-mate Paul Scholes and was treated to a standing ovation by fans with Man UTD tickets gathered inside Old Trafford.
