Manchester United could 'let go' of £82m winger in January transfer window with Newcastle United 'interested'

Since Antony arrived at Manchester United from Ajax for a fee of around £82 million, the Brazilian international has failed to meet expectations and in several instances, he has fallen far short of them.

As such, instead of sticking with their guns, the Red Devils may look to sell Antony in the upcoming January transfer window, according to a recent report from CaughtOffside.

There is no shortage of clubs who have been linked with a move for the the 24-year-old’s signature - among them are Newcastle United and his old club Ajax. The Toon are struggling for depth out wide this season, however, a return to his former stomping ground could provide the shot in the arm that his career desperately needs.

United’s asking price for the player is unconfirmed as of yet. Nevertheless, it is highly unlikely that they will be able to recoup much of the £82 million fee that they paid for him back in 2022 - if they are intent on moving him on over the course of the January transfer window, United must be prepared to let him go for a smaller figure. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE WEEKLY SHOW ON SHOTS! TV

So far this season, Antony has played four games in all competitions for United, scoring a single goal along the way. He has not been named in any of Erik ten Hag’s starting XIs in the Premier League in 2024/25 - additionally, his only goal of the season came by the way of a penalty against Barnsley in the EFL Cup. As things stand, he is being consistently out-performed by the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo and he is also putting in lesser displays than Marcus Rashford, who himself appears to be stuck in a rut of poor form.

Will Erik ten Hag want to keep Antony at Manchester United?

For all of Antony’s many detractors, he has consistently been backed by United boss Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman coached Antony during their time together at Ajax and has always defended him - even at times where United had underperformed.

Back in April, when United lost by a score of 4-3 against Chelsea, Ten Hag said on Antony: “I said it already before, the last weeks, he's progressing, you see it in training, you see it when he came in against Liverpool, also against Brentford, he's stepping up, he's understanding the message, he's progressing, so we are pleased with that.”

Nevertheless, Ten Hag issued a warning to Antony back in September, regarding his lack of consistency: “I think every player should give those reactions, you have to train hard, you have to perform in training, you have to earn a right to play and when the moment is your chance you have to take it but the manager can only pick 11 players and make five subs.

“So make sure you have those players in every game and by a consistent basis perform and most important when the chance is there you have to perform in a game and contribute to a winning team.”