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There are exciting times ahead at Manchester United, with Ruben Amroim set to be imminently confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s replacement. The Portuguese boss is set to take over following the international break in November, with his first game away from home against Ipswich Town.
He will inherit a squad short of confidence but surely buoyed by a Carabao Cup thrashing of Leicester City on Wednesday night. Led by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, the Red Devils put five past the Foxes to set up a Christmas quarter-final clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
It will be fascinating to see which players excel under Amorim, and who might leave the club upon a change of manager. One of the players who could leave is Antony.
Antony’s record at United
It is fair to say that Antony’s £81.3m move to Old Trafford from Ajax has been a disaster. There were high hopes for the winger when he first joined, having scored in his first three Premier League games, against Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton.
Since then, however, the winger has declined massively. He has now played for United 87 times but has managed just 12 goals and five assists.
He scored two memorable goals in that time, a Europa League winner against Barcelona and a crucial equaliser against Liverpool in last season’s remarkable FA Cup quarter-final.
However, he has underwhelmed in a United shirt for the most part. Red Devils legend Paul Scholes described him as a “one-trick pony” early on in his Old Trafford career. The Brazilian tends to cut inside on his left foot and get a shot off but does not seem as comfortable on his weaker right side.
This term, the winger has been poor. Even under Ten Hag, the man who fought to bring him to Old Trafford, the United number 21 did not get much of a look in. He has played just five times so far, starting once in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley. Across those five games, he has had just 155 minutes.
According to a recent report from talkSPORT, the Red Devils are set to ‘cut their losses’ on the 24-year-old, with former club Ajax and Brazilian side Flamengo interested in him. It does not seem like Amorim will have the winger in his squad much longer.
Of course, that has led to speculation about who United could sign as a replacement, and they have been linked to one of their incoming manager’s Sporting stars.
United’s Antony replacement
It is unsurprising to hear that the Red Devils are linked with the Portuguese manager’s players. Viktor Gyokeres is one man who could move to Old Trafford, with rumours flying that they could bring in the deadly striker and beat Arsenal to his signature.
The towering Swede has netted 59 goals in just 65 games under Amorim’s watch in Lisbon, making him the perfect solution to United’s centre-forward woes.
The man to replace Antony could be Gyokeres’ current teammate, Marcus Edwards. According to a report from TEAMTalk, the former Tottenham academy ace ‘could be signed as a replacement’ for United’s Brazilian winger.
The Sporting number 10 is an impressive player who has benefited from Amorim’s system, where he plays as one of two number 10s behind Gyokeres. The 25-year-old has superb technical ability and is a superb dribbler.
As per FBref, he averages 5.93 progressive carries per 90 minutes and completes 2.76 take-ons. That places him in the top 2% and 9% of wingers in Europe’s next 14 leagues respectively.
|
Edwards dribbling stats vs. players in next 14 leagues |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Number |
Percentile |
|
Progressive carries |
5.93 |
98th |
|
Carries into final third |
3.27 |
92nd |
|
Carries into penalty box |
2.86 |
98th |
|
Take-ons attempted |
5.93 |
93rd |
|
Take-ons completed |
2.97 |
91st |
|
Take-on success rate |
46.6% |
63rd |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
The “electric” winger, as broadcaster Jack Collins has described him, has a superb record under Amorim already and is a player the 39-year-old can trust. In 116 games playing for the new United boss, Edwards has scored 22 times and registered 28 assists.
His most productive league season was 2022/23, where he managed 16 goal involvements in 33 games.
As per Transfermarkt, he is valued at just £15m, and whilst he could well fetch more than that, it seems a safe bet from United’s point of view. Not only would Amorim be signing a player he trusts, but also someone who would not break the bank.
It could be a smart addition to the squad and a great replacement for Antony, with the prospect of bringing both Edwards and Gyokeres into the fold at Old Trafford certainly an exciting one.
Related
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Manchester United emphatically beat Leicester City 5-2 in their first taste of action since Erik ten Hag’s dismissal.
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