Antony: Manchester United’s next superstar?

Manchester United are reportedly closing in on an £84 million deal for Ajax winger Antony, but is he worth the huge price tag?

Erik Ten Hag obviously knows the 22-year-old very well from his time at Ajax and is keen to add the exciting young player to his squad.

This article breaks down Antony’s stats from the 2021-22 season to see what qualities he will bring to the Red Devils.

 

Defensive

While it’s not the part of his game he’s known for, being able to do a job defensively is a big part of being a Premier League player.

Antony has a lot of experience in high pressing football, as this is one of the key characteristics of Ajax’s playing style (particularly under Erik Ten Hag), which will be helpful as United look to build a new identity under the Dutch coach.

In his 33 outings for Ajax last season, Antony averaged 1 tackle and 0.5 interceptions per game, which for a forward is quite impressive.

Antony did pick up three yellow cards and one red last season, which United fans can expect to increase (as the Premier League is much more physical than the Eredivisie), but then again United have been devoid of passion for the last few years… so maybe some aggressive challenges would go down well with the Old Trafford faithful.

But it could also go the other way: the increase in physicality has proven too much for some players making the transition from the Dutch topflight to the Premier League: just think of Davy Klaassen, Vincent Janssen and (arguably) Memphis Depay… so £84 million seems a lot when many other promising Eredivisie names have failed in the past.

However, given Ten Hag’s experience in the Netherlands, you’d expect him to get it right.

Played: 33

Tackles per game: 1

Interceptions per game 0.5

Fouls committed per game: 0.5

Clearances per game: 0.1

 

Playmaking

One of the most impressive aspects of Antony’s game is his ability to create chances for his teammates.

He was generally on the ball A LOT when playing for the Dutch champions last season, making around 44 passes per match on average, so he was one of the most involved players in the team last season. This says a lot, as clearly his teammates back him to do something positive with the ball. The 22-year-old also rarely gives the ball away, with a pass success rate of 82.3%, which United fans will be grateful for.

Antony’s vision is also fantastic for a young player. He seems to see passes that other players can’t. At times, the youngster plays through balls and long passes that prime Andrea Pirlo would be proud of. Last season, Antony made an average of 1.6 key passes per match, making him Ajax’s most prolific creator of chances.

Antony is also effective in making crosses too. He is lighting fast and full of tricks, so can get into wide areas and whip effective crosses into the box. Last season, he linked up particularly well with Sebastian Haller, who is great in the air. Antony will hope to form a similar relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo this season (should he stay at Old Trafford).

In total, Antony made 10 assists in all competitions for Ajax, making him the number one assister in the club last season. If he can make another 10 for United this season, he could be the difference for success and failure in the new Ten Hag era.

Passes per game: 44.5

Pass success: 82.3%

Key passes per game: 1.6

Crosses per game: 1.1

Assists: 10

 

Attacking

However, Antony is not just a creator, but a scorer as well, which is one of the main reasons for his huge £84 million price tag.

As mentioned, he is brilliant on the ball. He has too many tricks in his locker to count, and he’s simply one of those players who gets you out of your seat. Last season, he was one of the most prolific dribblers in the Dutch top flight, making 1.8 successful dribbles per game. United have not had a player this tricky since a young Cristiano Ronaldo, so they have every right to be excited.

But where Antony really stands out is his confidence in front of goal. Goalscoring wingers have become massive in the Premier League in the last few years: just think of Salah, Mane, Sterling… the list goes on, and Antony has the potential to get that good in a few years’ time.

Last season, Antony took an average of 3.4 shots per game for Ajax, making him a serious threat to every defence he played against. Overall, he netted 17 goals in all competitions, including two in the Champions League (one against Dortmund, and one against Sporting CP).

If Antony can replicate these numbers for United, he will surely turn into a fan favourite very quickly.

With him already having Champions League experience, being a proven goal scorer and top quality creator, he has everything he needs to become a success in the Premier League.

The only question is… can he make the step up from the Eredivisie to the Premier League? The numbers suggest yes, but they did too with the likes of Depay and Klaassen.

It will be interesting to see how the 22-year-old fares this season if he does make the switch as expected. Ultimately, reuniting Antony with Erik Ten Hag could make a huge difference to United for many years to come.

Dribbles per game: 1.8

Fouls won per game: 1.3

Shots per game: 3.4

Goals: 12

Goal contributions per game: 0.67