Manchester United legend Jaap Stam says winger Antony is "not good enough" to play for the club and make a difference in the Premier League.
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Antony joined United for £85mStruggled to make an impactStam says winger "isn't good enough"GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The Brazilian international swapped Ajax for the Red Devils for £85 million ($99m) in 2022 but he has proven to be an underwhelming signing since then. The 23-year-old scored eight goals and bagged three assists in his first season at the club but he is yet to make a goal contribution this term in 17 appearances across all competitions. Plus, he was ineffective in his side's 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday. Now, United legend Stam has criticised the former Sao Paulo man.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT STAM SAID
Stam told the Stick to Football podcast: "From what I've seen from Antony, he's not good enough at this level that we're looking for at United. Because you're also looking for a player who can have a difficult time and struggle when he comes in, but [we can see] where he is making progress to get to that level. When you're looking at Antony now, at this moment, you don't see where he can make the progress to make the next step in the Premier League, to be up there with the top wingers who can make a difference."
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Antony is seemingly part of a long list of big-money transfer failures at United. He joins the likes of Harry Maguire (£80m), Angel Di Maria (£60m), Jadon Sancho (£72m), and Donny van de Beek (£35m), among others, in not delivering what was expected of them at the club. Not much has gone right for United since Sir Alex Ferguson's exit just over 10 years ago…
WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?
And things may be shaken up once again at the club as recent reports suggest manager Ten Hag could face the chopping block. Antony, meanwhile, could line up for the Red Devils against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, hoping to break his duck this season.