Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says misfit winger Antony is ‘like a son to him’ – but played down talk he wants to sign the Brazilian for his new club Bayer Leverkusen.
Ten Hag was relieved of his duties at Old Trafford last November six months after leading the club to FA Cup glory against Manchester City.
While he won two pieces of major silverware, having also lifted the Carabao Cup in his first season, the Dutchman’s time was ultimately remembered for disappointment and a series of costly mistakes in the transfer market.
Firmly among those was Antony, who United signed for £85million from ten Hag’s former side Ajax the same summer he arrived from the Amsterdam club.
Ajax signed Antony from Sau Paulo while ten Hag was in charge in 2020 with the Brazilian international strongly linked with another reunion this summer.
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Ten Hag has landed the job at Bayer Leverkusen, tasked with filling the void left by Xabi Alonso after be took the reins at Real Madrid.
There is a rebuild job underway with Leverkusen losing both Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool this summer.
But ten Hag suggested another reunion is not currently on the cards – although he did not rule it out later down the line.
‘He has great quality. I signed him twice,’ ten Hag told reporters. ‘He was like a son to me, he still is a son to me.
‘We’re not interested in him at the moment, but we’ll see what happens in the future.’
Antony hit the ground running at United, scoring in his first three games against Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton and also netted a vital strike against Barcelona in the Europa League during his first season.
But a woeful return of three goals in two assists in the entire 2023/24 season followed.
A solitary goal was his only contribution in United colours last season before he was shipped out on loan to Real Betis – a token penalty handed to him in a 7-0 trouncing of Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
Antony is desperate to remain at the Spanish club and is one of five players who are free to leave this summer alongside Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia.