Alex Crook of talkSPORT believes Manchester United should have signed Mohammed Kudus from Ajax rather than Antony.
Antony was signed by the Red Devils from the Eredivisie giants for an estimated £82 million in August 2022. That makes the Brazilian winger the club’s second most expensive signing, trailing only Paul Pogba.
However, Antony, 23, has fallen short of expectations since joining Old Trafford. He has eight goals and three assists in 64 games but has not scored or assisted in 20 games this season across all competitions.
Antony was a teammate of Kudus’ at the Johan Cruyff Arena. The 23-year-old’s stock was rising, and this summer he earned a reputed £38 million move to West Ham United.
Kudus has settled in well at the London Stadium, scoring nine goals and assisting once in 23 games across competitions. Erik ten Hag is familiar with the Ghanaian forward, having coached him at Ajax.
When discussing Kudus, Crook highlighted how difficult it may be for players to transition from the Eredivisie to the Premier League. He mentioned Antony to a UK radio station, saying:
“It’s not always easy to make the step up from the Dutch league, just ask Antony.”
Crook then wondered if the Red Devils had made a mistake by signing Antony and were now looking to sign Kudus:
“I do wonder if Manchester United misspelled Kudus’ name when they made the official bid for Antony because it looks like they’ve signed the wrong winger from Ajax.”
Kudus thrived at Ajax under Ten Hag, tallying five goals and four assists in 42 games. He’s a dynamic attacker who can play on the right wing, in offensive midfield, or in the center of the field.
The Hammers forward discussed how his style of play worked well under Ten Hag. In December 2022, he stated (via United In Focus):
“I saw myself in (Ten Hag’s) creative and attacking style of play.” It matched my unique characteristics and how I wanted to grow.”
This season, Manchester United has struggled on the offensive front. Antony’s poor record has coincided with Rasmus Hojlund’s sluggish start to the Premier League and Marcus Rashford’s fall from grace from last season.