Manchester United’s “bomb squad” trinity of Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford is likely holding up the transfer window, but one of these is unlike the other two.
It is an open secret that Man Utd’s financial situation will force them into a “sell to buy” mode after sealing the deal for Bryan Mbeumo.
When the narrative shifts to selling, the trio of Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford are at the top of the list due to their wages and the fee spent to buy them in Antony’s and Sancho’s cases.
It has led to an impasse in the window because United are having trouble getting what they want for these three, but one of them is unlike the others, and that can make all the difference.
Odd one out among Antony, Sancho, and Rashford
Unfortunately for United, these three players share traits in common that no club would want.
They are high-cost underachievers who spent the last season on loan in some capacity but are back to being United’s problem to solve in the summer.
Sancho’s embarrassment was the biggest, while Rashford dreams of a move that’s not attached to reality.
Antony flourished at Betis, but the Spanish team keeps pleading poverty, and the initial investment on the Brazilian from United dictates their tall asking price now.
It is likely that all three have played their last game for United, but it’s unfair to group Antony alongside Rashford and Sancho.
Unlike the other two, Antony is the odd one out in the best possible way because he never burned any bridges with United while he was at the club, or when he left.
He made nine appearances under Ruben Amorim, which totalled only 287 minutes, and had him playing in multiple positions, but he kept his head down and worked hard before moving to Betis.
Contrast that with Rashford, who was dropped once for a perceived lack of effort in training and was never seen again, or Sancho, who never even played under Amorim, and yet thought it acceptable to fire digs at United.
As a result, Antony has a way back at United, even if only for the short term, and that can make all the difference to Ruben Amorim.
Antony has helped Ruben Amorim
United effectively face a race against time to shift some players because they left the club in a state of scorched earth.
Amorim will be in for a lose-lose situation if players like Rashford and Sancho are still at the club when the team departs for pre-season.
Either he takes them to the tour, wasting a place for someone who doesn’t want to be here, or he leaves them behind, ending all the negotiation leverage.
It is Jason Wilcox’s test, but Antony has just made it easier and helped Amorim by being a model professional.
He can easily go with the team on tour while a move away is discussed, and most importantly, the way back for him at Old Trafford isn’t entirely shut either.
As unlikely as it sounds now, if he can bring his Betis form to United, Amorim would be quite happy to use him because of his left-footedness.
It’s unfair to group Antony with Sancho and Rashford because his conduct couldn’t be more different, despite arguably suffering even more at United.
That helps everyone now.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/PsfSVxg