Antony Man utd

Manchester United dishing out a gargantuan €100 million for Ajax winger Antony proves that not all massive transfer fees are directly comparable.

For a club already in massive debt thanks to the Glazer ownership, having just spent big money to acquire Casemiro from Real Madrid, this kind of deal comes with considerable downside. Is Antony guaranteed to be a success at Manchester United simply because they paid lots of money for him? It's likely that had United not been interested, and another club with less financial flexibility were in talks, Ajax would negotiate within the interested club's means if they were indeed motivated to make a sale. While Antony was always one of manager Ten Hag's long-term targets, their decision to pursue a deal so late in the window meant they were forced to capitulate to Ajax's demands. Piggybacking on the club's need to bring in attacking talent, the Glazer family's approval rating among Manchester United fans is near the floor. This was directly followed by a massive increase in transfer market activity, with Casemiro acquired the very same day as protests rang outside Old Trafford, and Antony's capture comes just a week later. If the Dutch side didn't receive a bid worthy of their attention, they could keep Antony at the club with little long-term harm, and plenty of time still left to negotiate a satisfactory transfer fee at a later date. The Red Devils were left floundering for a host of players in the summer transfer window, missing out on key targets such as Frenkie de Jong, Christopher Nkunku, and many others linked in the press. One key to determining a player's transfer fee is his contract with the selling club. As this desperation grew, Man United lost negotiating leverage as Ajax could see how much the club needed to bring in reinforcements to improve the side. Those answers will come at a later date, but the following information can at least provide immediate clarity as to why Man United felt it worth capitulating to Ajax's demands. The Premier League club, desperate for a revival under Erik ten Hag, are in rebuild mode.