Man United 'place £40m price tag' on unsettled forward 'with January exit possible'

The Red Devils paid Ajax in the region of £86m for Antony in the summer of 2022, but he has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford, only managing 12 goals and five assists in 86 appearances in all competitions.

The 24-year-old is off the mark in terms of goals for the 2024-25 campaign, scoring against Barnsley in the EFL Cup last month, but he has only played 27 minutes of Premier League football this season.

Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford are all ahead of him in the pecking order when it comes to the wide positions in the front three, and there was speculation surrounding his future over the summer.

Antony has another three years left to run on his contract, with the option to extend for a further 12 months, but according to the Daily Mail, his time at Old Trafford could be coming to an end.

Man United 'set Antony valuation' ahead of likely exit

The report claims that the Red Devils are considering allowing Antony to leave on loan in January, as it could increase their chances of selling him during next summer's transfer window.

Real Betis are believed to have failed with an attempt to sign Antony on loan before the end of the summer transfer window.

It is thought that the deal would have seen Man United continue to pay the majority of his wages, while there was no obligation to make the move permanent in 2025.

Antony's substantial wages, which are believed to be in the region of £200,000 a week, will make it difficult for the Red Devils to shift the South American in 2025.

Should Man United cut their losses on Antony?

There is no question that Antony has a lot of talent, as he would simply not be at this level without it, but he has really struggled to make his mark at Man United and looks short of being good enough to represent the club.

Last season, Antony only managed three goals and two assists in 38 appearances, while he had only played one minute of Premier League football in 2024-25 before being given the final 26 minutes against Aston Villa last time out.

Antony has lost his spot in the Brazil squad and unless there is a drastic injury crisis in the attacking spots over the next few days, then he will again be on the bench against Brentford in the Premier League this weekend.

For the sake of his career, the forward needs to move on, while Man United simply cannot afford to have an £86m attacker on £200,000 a week sitting on their bench, so an exit makes sense for all involved, but it will be a complicated departure.