Ten Hag ‘sending INEOS message’ with Man Utd use of Antony

Highlights

• Manchester United chief Erik ten Hag showed that he has lost faith in Antony by handing Omari Forson a start instead of the Brazilian for the defeat to Fulham.
• The Red Devils are expected to entertain offers for the winger when the transfer window reopens after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s fresh investment.
• Respected journalist Dean Jones believes ten Hag was attempting to prove a point to new members of the hierarchy by overlooking Antony last weekend.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag sent a ‘message to INEOS’ by opting against naming Antony in the starting line-up for the defeat to Fulham at Old Trafford, and journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT it shows that the Dutch tactician will refuse to hand the winger game time ‘at any cost to the team’.

Although the Red Devils entered a new era last week, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe completing his purchase of a minority stake in the club after also overcoming the hurdles of gaining approval from the Football Association and Premier League, they succumbed to a 2-1 loss thanks to a stoppage time winner from Cottagers winger Alex Iwobi.

The setback ended a run of five wins on the spin, hampering their hopes of making a late charge for the Champions League qualification places, and among ten Hag’s most surprising decisions for the defeat to Fulham was handing academy graduate Omari Forson a start ahead of Antony.

Antony in line to be put on the market by Red Devils

Manchester United are expected to entertain offers for Antony when the summer transfer window opens for business, according to the Manchester Evening News, as Ratcliffe has set his sights on overseeing a major squad revamp which could see more than 10 current members of the squad embark on a fresh challenge.

The report suggests that the Red Devils are intending to be more proactive in the seller’s market as they aim to fall in line with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, with Casemiro and Raphael Varane – who are the highest-earners on the Old Trafford giants’ books – also being among those who may leave in the coming months.

Antony has only found the back of the net once since the campaign got underway, with that solitary strike coming in the FA Cup third round win over League Two outfit Newport County in January, and statistics highlight that he has been far less productive in the final third of the pitch than fellow wide man Alejandro Garnacho.

It is understood that Manchester United offered Antony to big-spending Saudi Pro League clubs during the winter window, after director of football John Murtough travelled to the Middle East to build connections with potential admirers in December, but he was unable to convince any possible suitors to meet their £50million demands.

Respected journalist Steve Bates recently told GIVEMESPORT that the 15-cap Brazil international could be at the centre of a rift between ten Hag and Ratcliffe because the former Ajax chief is keen to retain his services instead of sanctioning his exit, but the new minority shareholder has no appetite for keeping and rewarding current members of the squad who are unproductive.

Manchester United are in a strong negotiating position if admirers choose to test their resolve when the transfer window reopens as the South American still has more than three years remaining on a contract worth £200,000-per-week, but his struggles in the Premier League could deter interested parties from lodging a lucrative offer.

Dean Jones – Ten Hag’s Antony snub is a good sign after sanctioning big-money deal

Jones believes ten Hag’s decision to overlook Antony and only introduce him as a late substitute during the loss to Fulham highlights that he is not willing to throw him into the starting line-up despite having a strong bond with the 24-year-old and sanctioning his £86million arrival from Ajax in September 2022.

Although the Dutchman pushed to land the ex-Sao Paulo talisman, the transfer insider is aware that the Red Devils’ chief did not want to fork out such a lucrative figure, and he may have been attempting to prove to Ratcliffe that he will not consider handing out-of-form players game time regardless of his personal attachment.

When asked for his thoughts on ten Hag’s Antony snub, Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think the only positive I’d take from a Manchester United perspective is that, although there has been a lot of talk around the fact that Antony is ten Hag’s boy, and it was his mistake in bringing him in, we know Antony isn’t in-form.

“If ten Hag was that wedded to Antony and turning him around, he would have just played him from the start because it was the perfect opportunity to do that.

“But I saw this as a message to INEOS. He wanted Antony as a signing at Manchester United, but he didn’t want him as a £86million signing. He is not willing to just play him at any cost to the team.

“I think that is actually a good sign for him to be sending out to INEOS because there are plenty of questions that are going to be asked of ten Hag at the end of the season.”

Ratcliffe eyeing move for Zidane in managerial shake-up

Ratcliffe has pinpointed Zinedine Zidane as his top target to replace ten Hag if he chooses to make a change in the Manchester United dugout, according to French media outlet Foot Mercato, and key figure Jean-Claude Blanc previously attempted to recruit him while working for reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

But the report suggests that the Red Devils could face difficulties in their bid to appoint the former Real Madrid head coach, who led the La Liga giants to three consecutive Champions League trophies, as he is waiting for the ideal project to reignite his managerial career and their interest has come at the same time as numerous other clubs seeking fresh impetus at the helm.

In a potential blow for Manchester United, Zidane has hinted that he would prefer to head to Serie A after claiming that he would be interested in taking charge of one of Italy’s leading clubs – having featured for Juventus during his playing days – meaning that Ratcliffe may be forced to make his move sooner rather than later.

Reputable journalist Bates recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Red Devils’ new-look hierarchy will assess ten Hag’s future at the end of the season, but senior sources have insisted that a final decision has not been made at this stage, and he could be handed another campaign to press on with his vision instead of wielding the axe.

Statistics courtesy of FBref