Antony has proved an instant hit at Real Betis and Scott McTominay is a key cog in a title race, though one observer has explained why Manchester United were right to let both players go.
Eyebrows were raised when McTominay left for Napoli last summer. The Scotland international was coming off the best year of his career from a goalscoring perspective having breached double figures the season prior.
Nonetheless, Man Utd agreed a £25.7m sale, with the proceeds logged as ‘pure profit’ on the books given McTominay’s status as a homegrown player.
Since arriving in Naples, McTominay has thrived as an attacking midfielder. His 10 goal contributions in 21 Serie A matches have helped fire Napoli to the top of the table.
Antony, meanwhile, was loaned to Real Betis in the winter window. The Brazilian’s six-month deal does not contain an option/obligation to buy, though his wildly encouraging start has already got Betis lining up a summer swoop.
Antony was named player of the match in each of his first two LaLiga matches for Real Betis. The winger also scored on his European debut for the club on Thursday night when netting in the 3-0 victory over Gent.
Yet according to Manchester Evening News reporter, Samuel Luckhurst, Man Utd were RIGHT to let both players leave.
Luckhurst is no stranger to taking a pop at the Red Devils, though in this instance launched a defence of the club’s transfer policy regarding the offloaded pair.
‘Antony also continues to pull the wool over potential suitors’ eyes,’ wrote Luckhurst. ‘He has got two goals in two games for Real Betis.
‘Some will use that as a stick to beat United with. The reality is Antony has found his level with a mid-table Spanish side in sunny Seville. His latest goal came in the Europa Conference League.
‘Joe Hart’s presence on the BBC is a reminder that punditry does not have to be about scripted soundbites to chase viral clips. It is worth imparting that advice to some of Hart’s peers.
‘Scott McTominay is “playing like primetime Jude Bellingham”, according to the 47-year-old Rio Ferdinand. Ferdinand did not talk like this when he captained United impeccably at the age of 29 but there is a fixation among some pundits to appeal to the TikTok crowd.
‘McTominay has scored seven goals for Napoli. This time last year, he had tallied nine goals for United. Has he gone backwards? No, of course not. But it fits the narrative to frame it as a blunder by United to have sold him.
‘Four of McTominay’s United goals last season came off the bench. He was an undeniable game-changer and, if used properly, was an asset as a starter. Erik ten Hag eventually realised McTominay’s calling was as an attacking midfielder.
‘Yet he was open to selling McTominay the summer before he left. A manager is entitled to change his mind and Ten Hag did.
‘He wanted to keep McTominay but the financial realities were that United had to sell-to-buy and a specialist defensive midfielder was essential. McTominay was the outgoing and Manuel Ugarte the incoming.
‘Casemiro was unsellable, so McTominay was the one who was always going to make way. If the words profitability and sustainability had not entered the English football lexicon, McTominay might still have been moved on.
‘United miss McTominay’s goal-getting nous and he has as many goals as Rasmus Hojlund this season. He would have been worth trialling as a striker last year.
‘All Antony thriving at Betis and McTominay distinguishing himself in Naples highlights is United’s horrendous hit-rate in the transfer market. Antony should never have been signed and, had United not squandered hundreds of millions on duds, they would not have had to sell a homegrown asset in McTominay.
‘Let us not pretend clubs were queuing around the block for McTominay, though. He joined a team that finished tenth in Serie A last season and Antonio Conte has a particular penchant for signing United cast-offs (Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Darmian, Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young). The only interested Premier League club was Fulham, 13th last season.’
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