Big transfer blunder brutally told to 'go home' and is 'not good enough' for the Premier League

Manchester United winger Antony has been told he is not good enough for the Premier League

Manchester United winger Antony has been told he needs to accept that he is not good enough to make it in the Premier League amid links to Newcastle and Crystal Palace, with former Red Devils defender Paul Parker savagely telling the Brazilian to “go back home” to Ajax.

Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag convinced club chiefs to fork out a massive fee rising to £86m for Antony in his first summer in charge in a deal which is the second-most costly in Manchester United history. However, despite the Brazilian impressing in the Eredivisie under Ten Hag, Antony has failed to show anything like his best, having registered a measly 12 goals and five assists from 86 appearances so far.

His only goal this season came from the penalty spot in a 7-0 Carabao Cup thrashing of Barnsley, and with the player having slipped down the pecking order under Ten Hag, he faces a tough task in proving he has been worth even a fraction of that very sizeable fee.

Sources recently told us that United’s new regime, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, feels the money shelled out for Antony is one of the worst transfer blunders in the club’s history.

And while it is claimed he could be allowed to leave in January amid links to Crystal Palace and Newcastle, Parker feels he should just accept that he is not cut out for English football.

“I don’t see Newcastle or Palace being interested in him unless they’re going to virtually be given him by United,” Parker said. “They may see value in that. I just don’t want to see him turn out like [Donny] van de Beek.

“It would be best for him to go back home, and his home is Ajax. That’s where he had a lot of success and where his name was made. I’m not seeing Newcastle, and Palace financially doesn’t work.”

Parker is adamant Antony doesn’t have the physique to shine in the Premier League, adding: “I just don’t think he’s good enough. He hasn’t got the physicality, and it’s less to do with muscle and size and more to do with presence and strength comes from within, but he doesn’t play that way.”

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What the Man Utd board really think of Antony

Explaining his thinking in more detail, Parker added: “He plays like someone with a small stature, rounded shoulders, and doesn’t stand up with belief in himself.

“For someone with a left foot, he’s got one of the worst left feet I’ve seen, and left-footers are normally always talented.

“They’re either really talented or they’ve got a rocket of a left foot, and he just lacks any strength in his left foot. He struggles with power.

“Technique he struggles with. It just hasn’t worked, and I don’t see anything materialising for him now.”

With the United board reportedly open to his exit in January, it remains to be seen what sort of fee they can claw back on that initial £82m investment.

It’s been speculated that United would hope to achieve £40m for the player – just over a 50% loss – though sources have informed us that United would be open to a loan deal if it contained an obligation to buy. And more realistically, they would hope to fetch some £25m to £30m for a player who, despite his flaws, has still won 16 caps for his country.

TEAMtalk can confirm United are indeed willing to offload Antony in the winter window. What’s more, our transfer insider, Fraser Gillan, has been informed of the sobering outlook Man Utd officials have adopted on Antony’s transfer.

We’ve been told insiders at Old Trafford now view Antony’s £81.3m-plus transfer as one of the worst deals in the club’s 146-year history.

And with the 24-year-old having been an unused substitute in seven out of 11 matches this term, it seems Ten Hag has also come to accept the player is not of the standard required.

Publicly Ten Hag continues to back the player and the Dutchman is especially good at shielding his players – especially those men he signed – from any criticism. But privately it seems Ten Hag knows he has better options at his disposal with Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo all ahead of him in the pecking order.

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Meanwhile, United have reportedly made contact with former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic over the possibility of replacing Ten Hag.

The 41-year-old German only has three years of managerial experience to his name, but has already won a trophy, reached the Champions League final and boasts a win average of over 66%.

With the Dutchman continuing to attract unwanted speculation over his future, though, Ten Hag has slammed the media for their “lies and fairytales” over claims he faces the sack.

Meanwhile, United have been advised to consider triggering the €80m exit clause in the contract of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand with a former Premier League goalkeeper outlining why he would be perfect for United and the Premier League.

Elsewhere, journalist Christian Falk claims United have an opportunity to take advantage of Leroy Sane’s contract situation and swoop to bring the Bayern Munich star back to the Premier League.

How does Antony’s record at Ajax compare to Man Utd?

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