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Manchester United’s draw against Bournemouth after another laboured performance further ramped up the pressure on Erik ten Hag.
It’s just one win in the last seven and after faint hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, it’s now a desperate attempt to cling onto any European place at all.
However, for once, a bad performance wasn’t led by Antony, who has impressed in recent weeks and was curiously absent from the squad vs Bournemouth.
Several conjectures followed and the status remains hazy but one status that might be clearing up now is his future at United.
Respected transfer insider Rudy Galletti reports that United have made up their mind about selling Antony in the summer.
🚨↩️ #ManUTD are planning to sell #Antony in the summer for an “acceptable” amount, trying to maximize the sale and save his big salary (£6m/y until 2027).
📑 Micheal #Olise remains at the top of the list to replace the 🇧🇷 winger, but also other names are monitored by #MUFC. pic.twitter.com/PJ1tH4iMBY
— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) April 13, 2024
There is a feeling that he will be sold for any respectable amount, which is sure to be nowhere near the £80 million or so they paid for him in 2022.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS want to get rid of his £6 million/year wages and any transfer fee over that amount will be welcome.
In his place, Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise is a target, the Frenchman who has impressed greatly in the Premier League.
Olise is also a left-footed right-winger but has shown consistent production levels in the Premier League.
Furthermore, he is undoubtedly going to be on lesser wages than Antony, whose contract, even without the benefit of hindsight at the time, looked exorbitant.
The new regime at Old Trafford is eager to get the wage structure in line and selling off some of the more egregious errors of the previous regime is the first step towards doing so.
If Antony is sold, it will be another hammer blow to the ever-decreasing authority of Ten Hag, who was the key driver behind his signing from Ajax and has remained a staunch defender of the player.
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