Manchester United are reportedly planning to use Antony in a deal to sign Gabriel Barbosa from Flamengo in January.
Antony has been one of the biggest flops in recent Premier League history and even after 55 games, the winger is still struggling to find his feet in England. Criticism has risen regarding his poor performances and according to a report in The Mirror, Ten Hag is finally planning to send him out on loan.
The Man United manager might be planning to use him as a makeshift to sign Brazilian forward Gabriel Barbosa – a player who’s scored more than 150 goals in 265 appearances for Flamengo.
Should Man United send Antony out during the middle of the season?
This season, Antony has been the lone right-winger in the Manchester United squad which is why he is getting constant game time despite dishing out really poor performances. So far, he’s started eight league games and he’s yet to score or assist a single goal. To make matters worse, his personal legal troubles have also been a problem for the club as well as the manager.
Antony looks really limited in what he can out on the right wing and after the dismal start to their season, the United manager will definitely be looking for a replacement.
United had paid a crazy amount of money to sign him so there’s no way they will offload him permanently during the middle of the season but a loan move will be a good idea as it can help him get his confidence back, away from all the limelight and pressure.
However, it remains to be seen if the Brazilian international will be eager to go out on loan to Flamengo after playing for clubs like Ajax and Manchester United.
Is Gabriel Barbosa going to be a gamble signing?
The 27-year-old has been a standout performer for Flamengo since joining them permanently in 2020 but his previous stints in Europe was anything but successful.
He spent one season with Inter where he managed to play in only 10 games, scoring just one goal and then he went to Ajax for six months where he featured in only four matches.
The Brazilian international is definitely going to be a gamble signing but there are two main reasons why Manchester United might be looking to bring him on board. Firstly, he is available for around £20 million which is very cheap as compared to the recent market trends and secondly, despite being a centre-forward, he can also play out on the right wing which is what Ten Hag is looking for as he plans to get rid of Antony.
Whether Barbosa can be the successor to Antony remains to be seen but there’s no harm in trying to offload an £85 million flop. Manchester United could take a gamble on Gabriel Barbosa if he is arriving on loan but the Red Devils will have to fight AC Milan who are also interested in signing the centre-forward.
