Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made it clear that Brazil winger Antony must “earn the right” to play for the club, as the £82m signing faces increasing competition for his place in the squad.
The Dutch coach’s comments come as Antony has struggled for form since his arrival from Ajax in 2022, failing to live up to the expectations tied to his hefty price tag.
The 24-year-old Brazilian winger, who is the second-most expensive player in United’s history behind Paul Pogba, has yet to make a significant impact at Old Trafford.
Across his 55 Premier League appearances, Antony has managed only five goals and three assists, including just one goal and a single assist in the entirety of last season.
His contribution in the 2023/24 campaign has been minimal, with only one minute of competitive action so far, during United’s loss to Brighton in September.
With United finishing a disappointing eighth in the Premier League last season, ten Hag is under pressure to turn the team’s fortunes around, and the rise of other attackers in the squad has put Antony’s position in jeopardy.
Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Amad Diallo have all been preferred to the Brazilian this season, and each has already found the back of the net, further increasing the pressure on Antony to prove his worth.
As Manchester United prepares to face Barnsley in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, Ten Hag has challenged Antony to step up his efforts if he wants more involvement in the team’s matches.
“He’s impatient. He wants to play,” Ten Hag said when asked about Antony’s lack of playing time this season. “But in top football, there are laws. You pick the team that has the most chance to win the game, the one with the best dynamic, the best chemistry. Players have to fight for their positions.”
With Antony reportedly linked to a potential move to Turkish club Fenerbahce before the transfer window closed, his future at Manchester United appears uncertain. Nevertheless, Ten Hag has emphasized that Antony’s fate remains in his own hands, stressing that players earn their place through hard work on the training pitch.
“The other players are doing so well – they’re contributing,” said the United manager. “He has to get over them. He has to earn the right in training.”
Ten Hag remained coy about whether Antony would feature in Tuesday’s cup tie at Old Trafford, but hinted that the player’s training performance would ultimately decide his involvement.
“You will see what the line-up will be,” Ten Hag added. “We have every day training and the players have to earn the right to play. When players do the right thing in training, when the attitude is good, when they show performance in training, they will earn the right to play.”
Antony will be hoping to use the Carabao Cup tie against Barnsley as an opportunity to reignite his Manchester United career, as the pressure to deliver at one of the world’s most demanding clubs continues to mount.