There’s no two ways about it: Manchester United’s signing of Antony has been a complete failure, not just because of his output but also the astronomical fee he cost.
At the start of Erik ten Hag’s reign, the Brazilian followed his boss from Ajax to Manchester, signing for a whopping £82m.
Since then, the number 21 has made 82 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring just 11 goals, with only one of them coming in the Premier League this season.
Therefore, it’s no shock to see that Antony’s estimated worth has decreased over time, but one Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signing has also struggled, to the point where he’s now valued the same as the 24-year-old.
Jadon Sancho’s Man United career
When the highly anticipated signature of Jadon Sancho occurred, the Man United faithful were absolutely buzzing to have a superstar joining their squad, a player who was meant to be the heir to the prestigious number seven shirt.
The England international joined the Red Devils for a huge £73m, and during his first campaign, he produced just six Premier League goal contributions for a struggling United side.
The appointment of Ten Hag saw an upturn in performance from Sancho, scoring six times and providing three assists in 21 league starts.
However, just three games into this season, the number 25 was banished from the United first team setup following comments online about the Dutch boss, which has surely put an end to his career at Old Trafford.
Sancho’s transfer value in 2024
Having refused to apologise for his actions, Sancho left England and returned to Borussia Dortmund on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Since reuniting with his former teammates in the Bundesliga, the 24-year-old has been relatively impressive, picking up four goal contributions in 11 league starts.
But it’s been his performances during Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final that've prevented his value from plummeting, starring in the semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain with 13 successful dribbles and three key passes.
It’s clear that Sancho’s performances have drastically improved since moving back to Signal Iduna Park, showcasing exactly why pundit Owen Hargreaves once called him "unplayable," but what is the attacker actually worth in today’s market?
1. Alejandro Garnacho
£85m
2. Rasmus Hojlund
£85m
3. Marcus Rashford
£68m
4. Antony
£43m
4. Sancho
£43m
As you can see, according to CIES’ Football Observatory, the forward is now estimated to be worth £43m, the exact same as Antony.
This means that despite his underperformance at the Red Devils, he’s valued at the same price as Kobbie Mainoo, while also being more than Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount combined.
The former Manchester City academy player is reportedly keen to stay at BVB beyond this season, which may force United to cash in on the winger for a much lesser fee than his original cost.
Unfortunately, it’s clear that Sancho’s move to United has been a "disaster" for both parties – a word content creator Terry Flewers used to describe the deal – and the best decision will be that they part ways after Dortmund’s Champions League final.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in charge, this type of signature will be far less likely to occur in the future at Man United, with Sancho and Antony both being the perfect examples of why such deals must be avoided.
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