Manchester United are hoping to recoup about 2/3 of the whopping £155 million they spent on wayward wingers Jadon Sancho and Antony. According to a report in the Evening Standard, United want £50m for each player, two forwards that absolutely embody the term “flop.” It seems kind of ambitious, sure, but there is hope that some of the Saudi Pro League clubs would go for this.
After all, that was the overall theme of this past summer transfer window- Saudi Arabian sides buying up big names from Europe.
Although it is worth noting that Sancho, who cost MUFC an eye-popping £73 million back in June of 2021 (after he already been very tediously linked with a move to the club for the two previous summers), has already reportedly turned down a chance to move to Saudi Arabia in September.
He is currently on loan, with no option buy, at Borussia Dortmund- the same club United signed him from. He only made three appearances with United this season, all before the September international break. His United career is absolutely over, and he’ll leave having scored 12 goals in 82 games over the course of two and a half seasons.
As for Antony, United paid an astronomical £82 million for him, in the summer of 2022. WOW! Ajax made off like bandits, big time, on that deal. In 22 appearances this season, he has zero, and yes, you read that correct, zero, goal involvements.
He barely did anything last season either. Manager Erik ten Hag pressed and pressed to get him, from his former employer, and what a terrible move this turned out to be. Ten Hag admitted that all the off-the-pitch issues (multiple women accusing Antony of assault) have served to partially diminish his form.
For what it is worth, Transfermarkt has Sancho valued at €25m (about £21.5m) and Antony at €35m (about £30m).
So, in other words, good luck getting somebody, even in Saudi Arabia, to pay 50 million apiece for them.
Between Mason Greenwood (currently on loan at Getafe), Antony and Jadon Sancho, United have really found themselves with some forwards who have major issues transcend sport.
And those issues have resulted in all three being unable to produce, or sometimes even play, rendering them with some terrible voids to fill in the final third.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.