Erik ten Hag opposed £85m Antony signing, claims agent

Updated: 11 Jun, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Erik ten Hag opposed £85m Antony signing, claims agent

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Erik ten Hag reportedly did not support Manchester United's eye-watering £85 million move for Antony in 2022, despite public perception that the winger was a personal favourite of the Dutchman.

In a stunning revelation made in the book "Liverpool and the Dutch", Kees Vos, co-founder of the Sports Entertainment Group (SEG) which represents Ten Hag, claims the former United manager tried to block the transfer altogether.

Antony arrived from Ajax Amsterdam in the summer of 2022 after United had made three formal bids to secure his signature.

It was widely believed that ten Hag's relationship with the Brazilian, forged during their time at Ajax, played a key role in the move.

However, Vos now says it was United's hierarchy who were determined to complete the signing - largely due to rival interest from Arsenal.

Ten Hag and Vos were not in favour of this and wanted to stop the transfer.

But the club wanted to push through at all costs, because Arsenal was also interested in Antony. The risk of a stronger competitor would be great.

Ultimately, Manchester United paid almost 100 million euros for Antony.

Antony's Decline at Old Trafford

The move proved a significant gamble that failed to pay off.

Antony started brightly but quickly fell out of form. Over 96 appearances for the club, he managed just 12 goals and 5 assists, and was often criticised for overcomplicating play without end product.

By the second season, Antony had dropped down the pecking order.

In his third campaign, he was loaned to Real Betis, where he saw a modest resurgence, contributing to 14 goals in 26 appearances in La Liga.

Although ten Hag did not support this transfer, it stuck with him throughout his entire time in Manchester that he took over the attacker from Ajax for this ill-fated amount, who was never able to fulfil his promise.

Reunion on the Horizon?

In an ironic twist, Bayer Leverkusen, now managed by ten Hag, have shown interest in signing Antony.

United are now reportedly willing to accept around £40 million for the 24-year-old - less than half of what they originally paid - as they look to offload him permanently.

Whether or not Antony ends up in Germany, Vos' claims cast a new light on one of United's most criticised signings - and on ten Hag's often-questioned recruitment decisions at Old Trafford.

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