Antony’s arrival signals audacious upheaval of Manchester United | Jonathan Liew

Erik ten Hag’s plan for such major surgery in only a short amount of time at Old Trafford is both ambitious and flawed

We probably need to talk about the money first. It’s the 13th most expensive transfer of all time, slotting in between Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. It brings Manchester United’s spending this window to about £200m plus potential add‑ons, and together with the signings of Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martínez means United are responsible for about 48% of the Eredivisie’s entire summer transfer income.

“God decides my future,” Antony said in an interview last week, when he was still an Ajax player. But, you know, an £86m bid from one of the world’s richest clubs doesn’t hurt either.