Manchester United-bound Antony ‘isn’t worth’ the €100m that the Red Devils are paying for him, according to Ajax head coach Alfred Schreuder.
United confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Ajax for the transfer of Antony on Tuesday afternoon, with the deal set to be completed following the finalisation of personal terms, a medical and receiving a work permit.
Schreuder had long insisted that the Brazil international would not be sold by the Dutch champions this window, but with Antony on his way to Old Trafford, he has hit out at how football is dictated by such vast amounts of money.
“Today, the amounts are crazy,” he told ZiggoSports.
“Barcelona paid €115m for [Ousmane] Dembele, Manchester United also paid more than €100m for [Jadon] Sancho. Then you can pay that for him [Antony] too. Are the players worth it? No. But it will be paid.”
Listen now to 90min’s Manchester United podcast, The Promised Land, with Scott Saunders & Rob Blanchette. In the latest edition they discuss the arrivals of Antony and Martin Dubravka, the possibility that Cristiano Ronaldo could still leave and whether a swap deal with Napoli for striker Victor Osimhen is on the cards. There is also reaction to Casemiro’s debut.
Schreuder went on to describe Antony’s conduct as “strange” after he delivered a bombshell interview last Friday pleading with Ajax to let him leave. He had also missed several training sessions in recent weeks.
When asked if Antony could be fined for his behaviour in his final days at the club, Schreuder said: “Absolutely. I don’t think it’s good that it’s possible within our club. If you’re Ajax, it’s just bad that this happens. I’ve talked about it with him. If you’re disappointed for a day or two, I understand, but at some point you’re a professional.
“Then I said: ‘I will continue with the guys who are there.’ At a certain point you get angry about it, like…what are we doing? Looking at the total picture, that frustrates you as a trainer, but also how you stand in the world. Then I think, ‘You’re just a player, you just have to do your thing’.”
