The big story in the world of all things Manchester United today is Antony, with the club finally making an official statement on the very serious allegations made against the winger. The former girlfriend of Antony, Gabriela Cavallin, has publicly, accused Antony of physical aggression on a number of occasions since January, and she added fresh claims on Monday.
In response, later that day, the Brazilian FA made a public statement, as they announced that Antony had been withdrawn from the squad for September’s World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru.
The next day, United confirmed their Champions League group stage squad, and it included Antony. Today’s club statement about Antony does not give any indication about the player’s availability, or overall status with the team.
“Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the police are conducting enquiries,” the club statement reads. “Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments. As a club, we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.”
BREAKING: Manchester United have released a statement with regards to Antony.pic.twitter.com/HyP0AEzInw
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 6, 2023
In other words, if they are going to suspend him, they haven’t done it yet. Antony maintains his innocence, posting another statement on social media this week denouncing Cavallin’s claims as false.
The forward’s statement reads: “I can say with confidence that accusations are false and that the evidence already produced show that I am innocent of the accusations made. My relationship with Ms Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal offences from both sides, but I never practiced any physical aggression.
“I trust that the ongoing police investigations will demonstrate the truth about my innocence.”
Additionally, Greater Manchester Police released a statement today as well, saying they are aware of the whole situation and that their inquest remains ongoing. If this all feels like Mason Greenwood 2.0, well, yeah, these two very serious situations certainly have a lot of commonalities. The fact that this is all blowing up now, right after Greenwood left for Getafe, drives that point home even more.
Moving on to some transfer talk, club legend David de Gea remains a free agent, and nobody appears to be interested in the 32-year-old Spaniard.
It’s mind-blowing: last year’s Premier League Golden Gloves award winner doesn’t have a club, and he’s not even being linked anywhere.
The Saudi Arabian transfer window closes tomorrow, with the Turkish summer signing period still open until Sept. 15.
Speaking of Turkey, we’ve already seen Fred leave United to join Fenerbahce this summer (and Eric Bailly join rival Besiktas); and now midfielder Donny van de Beek could as well.
The Dutchman is so far down the depth chart that pretty much any new destination would be good for him. The Daily Mail has more on the links to the Turkish Super Lig side.
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. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.