Now-former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
Now-former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
Cast your minds back to the summer of 2022 and there was a sense of optimism surrounding Manchester United after what was thought to be the lowest ebb this club could reach.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking, followed by the disappointing interim period under Ralf Rangnick, had left the club wallowing in... sixth position. After the 2024/2025 season such a league position would be lauded as a triumph next year but, at the time, it was seen as well below-par with United far off the race for Champions League football.
However, there was hope that things were going to change for the better with the arrival of Erik ten Hag. He had done well with Ajax and was seen as a manager that broke away from the old guard choices which didn't seem to help progress the club.
After being sucked into a Frenkie de Jong transfer saga, that absorbed much of the window, United showed their commitment to backing Ten Hag by investing a cool £86m on Antony. Sadly, this move never worked out for the Reds with the Brazilian soon shifted out of the club on loan when the Dutchman was eventually sacked in October 2024.
A year after Antony made his switch to Old Trafford, the deal that United should have made in 2022 was in turn completed by West Ham as they welcomed Mohammed Kudus to east London. In his first season, while Antony floundered, Kudus soared as he bagged 14 goals and nine assists in all competitions.
At this stage, it was clear that Kudus was a better investment, at that time, and would have cost significantly less at £38m. Fast forward to 2025 and now the Ghanaian has had a difficult season, United are looking at the prospect of signing him, at least according to The Guardian.
West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus. (Image: Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Despite his underwhelming 2024/2025 campaign, the Iron are still looking at the potential to snap-up their £85m release clause from an unknowing Premier League club desperate to make their mark. United now have the opportunity to sanction the deal that should have been done in 2022, but it does not mean they should now.
Kudus is way out of their price range now and his returns in the Premier League simply do not justify the current price tag that West Ham are demanding. This is a deal best left in the past and that money needed to activate his release might well be better served elsewhere.
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