Berbatov predicts swift Man Utd exit for star he "gets angry" watching play

Manchester United should cut their losses and sell Antony in the summer if his performances don’t improve, according to Dimitar Berbatov.

Antony has struggled to justify his £86million transfer fee since joining United from Ajax in September 2022, contributing just eight goals and three assists in 66 appearances. The Brazilian winger was championed by Erik ten Hag, who also signed him for Ajax, yet faces an uncertain future, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival signalling a change of approach at the club.

United are reportedly hoping to shift Antony and fellow expensive flop Jadon Sancho to Saudi Pro League clubs in the summer, although his agent has pushed back at the suggestion. Former United striker Berbatov remains a fan of the club but remains pragmatic about Antony, who has flattered to deceive for so long.

“Antony needs someone on the pitch to show him where to run, how to run and when to release the ball,” he told Betfair. “If he can't find the answers on his own, he needs a coach, a friend, an agent, his dad, to give him advice. He should even start to watch videos on clips of some right-wingers who have been there and done it. After that, if he can't perform then it's clearly not going to work out.

“For me, watching as a fan, I get angry when I watch him because it's frustrating. I don't want to compare him to anyone because every player has difficult spells. If Antony can't get out of his, then he needs to go.

“If a season is too short to judge someone then Antony deserves a little more time because it's not fair. If he corrects his errors, then he will be good for the team. He needs to be mentally clever first and foremost and you need to know how to take criticism. If Antony's performances aren't up to the standards by the end of the season, I imagine he will look for somewhere else to go.”

‌Despite his meagre output in recent years, United are reportedly hoping to recoup around £50m for Antony this summer. Saudi Pro League clubs have shown a willingness to fork out huge money to land stars, yet Antony’s agent believes he still has a future in Manchester.

“Manchester has so far not communicated any interest in transferring him in either the January or summer window,” Junior Pedroso told United in Focus. “Antony is focused on these four months of the season so he can improve his performance, knowing that he needs to score goals and assists.

"This is his focus. Today our head is on Manchester United. He knows very well that he needs to score, there’s no point in just playing good games, he has to score goals and provide assists. He is very coherent about this. He will come back different, his head has become a little key and certainly in these four months he will show much more than he showed this season.”