Revealed: Erik ten Hag 'did not support' £85m Antony transfer but Man Utd ‘pushed through at all costs’ due to rival interest from Arsenal

In a surprising revelation, it has emerged that Ten Hag was not in favour of United's massive investment in the Brazilian in 2022. Antony had played under Ten Hag at Ajax, and the expectation was that the familiarity between the two would ease the transition to Old Trafford and spark immediate results.

According to multiple reports, it was only after United lost their opening two matches of the 2022–23 Premier League season that the urgency to bring in a high-profile attacker intensified. This urgency translated into action, with then-football director John Murtough submitting three separate bids to Ajax. The final offer was eventually accepted, despite Ajax’s reluctance to lose Antony.

However, contrary to popular belief, Ten Hag tried to halt the move, as disclosed by Kees Vos, co-founder of SEG, the agency representing Ten Hag.

In the book Liverpool and the Dutch, Vos states: "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. The risk of a stronger competitor would be great. Ultimately, Manchester United paid almost 100 million euros for Antony.

"Although Ten Hag did not support this transfer, it stuck with him throughout his entire time in Manchester that he took over the attacker from Ajax for this ill-fated amount, who was never able to fulfil his promise."

Over the course of 96 appearances for United, Antony only managed to net 12 goals and register five assists, figures that drew sharp criticism from fans. His tendency to perform flashy tricks without delivering tangible outcomes made him an easy target for those frustrated with United’s inconsistent performances. By the start of his second season, Antony had begun to fall down the pecking order. His limited impact saw him lose his regular starting role, and in a notable development halfway through his third season, he was loaned out to Spanish side Real Betis.

United are reportedly open to accepting a considerable loss to facilitate Antony’s permanent exit. Sources indicate that the club would entertain offers in the region of £40 million ($54m), less than half of what they initially paid. Meanwhile, Sky Sports Germany reports that Bayer Leverkusen are assessing the possibility of reuniting the winger with Ten Hag. Ironically, while the Dutch coach originally opposed the high-priced move to Manchester, he may now see value in bringing Antony to Leverkusen under far more favourable financial circumstances.