What has been said about Man Utd star Antony after shock Newcastle United links

There was more than an element of surprise when Newcastle United were linked with a shock move for Manchester United winger Antony.

The 16-times capped Brazil international joined the Red Devils for an eye-watering fee of around £80m during the summer of 2022 and scored ten goals and provided five assists during his first season at Old Trafford. The former Ajax winger also featured as Erik Ten Hag’s side prolonged Newcastle’s search for major silverware with a 2-0 win in the Carabao Cup Final in February 2023. Antony made a further 38 appearances during his second season with the 16-time Premier League champions - but remained an unused substitute as Ten Hag landed major silverware for the second year in a row with a 2-1 win against arch rivals Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup Final.

There has been ongoing speculation suggesting Antony could be allowed to leave Old Trafford during the summer transfer window and there was talk in Turkey stating the Red Devils winger could link up with former Newcastle United star Allan Saint-Maximin and former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce. That speculation is ongoing as the Turkish transfer window does not close until this coming Friday. However, CaughtOffside have claimed Newcastle are considering a move to allow Antony to link up with Brazil team-mates Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes at St James Park - if a planned move for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga fails to come to fruition. But what has been said about Antony’s future at Old Trafford and Newcastle’s transfer business?

What has Erik ten Hag said about Antony’s future at Man Utd?

In an interview to Dutch outlet AD Sportwereld ahead of the new Premier League season, the Red Devils boss said of claims he overpaid for the former Ajax star: “I don’t go over the budget. I’ve never even had a budget. At United, the budgets lie with the owners and management. He certainly showed that potential in the first month: he scored three times in his first three games. After that it became more difficult, last season was not good. But I am still convinced that he has the potential to play at this club.”

What has Antony’s agent said about his future at Man Utd?

Speaking to Fabrizio Romano amid summer links with Turkish giants Fenerbahce, Antony’s agent Junior Pedroso said, "I see reports about potential exit on loan. Antony’s plan is clear: Manchester United. He wants to stay, he’s only focused on Man United. We already spoke about that with the club."

What has Paul Mitchell said about Newcastle United’s transfer business?

“Is there a point of value for every single player and did maybe this football club need to draw a line in the sand of ‘we’re not going to overpay?’ Probably looking at the players we have signed – and we’ve signed some really good players – could we say that some of those players potentially cost more money than they should have done in the market at that current context? You probably could have that argument and discussion. For this club to come out and say actually, we really liked this player and thought he could have bring benefit to this squad but it is at any cost? Is it at financial risk to the organisation and our growth and our plan? I don’t think we should do that.”