Manchester United announced on Tuesday that they have reached an agreement with Ajax to sign Brazilian international Antony.
Antony was subsequently confirmed and unveiled as a United player and it made him the club's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro.
The 22-year-old had been a leading target for United throughout the summer and manager Erik ten Hag persisted with his efforts to add the winger to his squad. The Dutchman worked with him at Ajax and is directly responsible for the upward trajectory he has been on over the last couple of years.
READ MORE: United were right to sign Antony over alternative options
Antony's arrival at Old Trafford will significantly strengthen United's attacking options and create a pleasant selection headache for Ten Hag, with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial all capable of playing out wide. Such is the size of the transfer fee that United have paid for Antony (£85.5million), however, it is obvious that he has been brought to the club to be a regular starter, opposed to adding some depth to the squad.
Sancho — who has started three of United's opening four matches this season on the right-wing — was brought to Old Trafford just over a year ago to solve the club's longstanding right-wing problem. However, he has produced the best of his football for United so far on the left, even though he has only scored six goals and registered a paltry three assists.
The addition of Antony means Sancho must now nail down a spot on the left, but there he will be competing with Rashford, and potentially Martial and Anthony Elanga as well.
However, if Sancho is selected by Ten Hag as his preferred wide-left option, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher won't have too many concerns. At the start of last season, the former Liverpool man outlined why he thought Sancho, following his arrival from Borussia Dortmund, could be just as effective on the left as he is on the right.
"I think he could be a superstar, I really do," Carragher told Sky Sports last year. "You look at his numbers in German football.
"Gary [Neville] has mentioned that they need this player on the right side, at times I think he is as good on the left if you look at his stats."
Following an underwhelming first half to his first season in the Premier League last term, Sancho stepped it up a gear following the turn of the year, following Ralf Rangnick's decision to test his mettle on the left. The former Dortmund man showed glimpses of his capabilities from that flank, scoring two goals and grabbing three assists in the league from that position.
That means that the bulk of Sancho's good work in a United shirt so far has come from the left-wing, meaning the arrival of Antony should not be too big a problem for the 22-year-old. His biggest challenge could come in the form of competing with Rashford, especially if Cristiano Ronaldo stays.
READ NEXT:
