Both Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes harbour some concerns over the fee Manchester United paid for Ajax winger and Brazilian international Antony.
The 22-year-old set the Red Devils back a cool £84.4million and considering his return of just eight league goals last term, that figure has raised eyebrows. However, both of the aforementioned Red Devils legends agree that Antony is going to need plenty of time to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League before he can be properly judged and the price tag should not weigh heavy on him.
Scholes discussed the idea of English clubs paying a premium for talent from other leagues in Europe, before telling BT Sport : "Of course, they will take advantage of any club, we have seen it all summer with Chelsea paying over the odds for players. I feel a bit for the lad, he obviously wants to come to Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world.
"He is at a good club in Ajax, don’t get me wrong. But this is a proper football club where he will be seen around the world and he is a player that obviously the manager likes, he’s had him before. I feel a bit sorry for the player, but we will see what happens."
Ferdinand echoed his former teammates' sentiment, explaining how a huge price tag can often hinder a new signings chances of succeeding at a club. "Antony, he's coming in at £100million or roughly around that figure, [you hope] that he comes in and that doesn't weigh heavy on his neck," the ex-England international told his Vibe with FIVE podcast.
"You look at Grealish last year, he wasn't the same Grealish that played at Aston Villa, so it can weigh heavy." Ferdinand went on to mention additional factors that could play a part in the adaption process and the subsequent struggle.
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"It can be the price tag weighing heavy and the pressure and the attention of being under the spotlight, a new environment and club and culture that they're not used to, and a team setup that they're not used to.
"Those three things are big things that come into play when you sign but you have to have the personality and character to deal with all that, that's a big thing."
The transfer fee is undoubtedly going to cause a stir, but United's hands were arguably tied given how late in the window it now is and Ajax's strong negotiating position. The Dutch giants were in no real desperate need to sell.