The writing had been on the wall for months. United’s heavy investment in attacking talent this summer, with the arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, all but confirmed that Antony was surplus to requirements. Having been left out of the club’s pre-season tour to the United States and excluded from first-team training sessions, the winger has effectively been in exile all summer. His departure was inevitable; it was just a matter of where and when.