Manchester United icon Gary Neville has labelled Antony as the club's worst transfer flop since the Sir Alex Ferguson era, narrowly 'beating' Angel Di Maria. The Red Devils have spent hundreds of millions adding to their squad in an effort to restore the club to its former glory, but that has not quite worked out, with United still without a Premier League title since Ferguson retired.
Neville's verdict on Di Maria
Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, the former defender said: “Di Maria was a bad one and I was so excited about him, by the way. I thought that was an amazing signing. Can get from box to box, he’s quick, quality and then obviously he just didn’t adapt, didn’t settle. All those reasons. That was a bad one.”
Former Argentina international Di Maria joined United from Spanish giants Real Madrid back in 2014 for an eye-watering £59.7m. He scored four goals and notched 11 assists during his only campaign at Old Trafford before being shipped out to French giants Paris Saint-Germain at a loss. Di Maria has since gone on to play for Juventus and Benfica, returning to Argentina in 2025 by joining Rosario Central.
Antony named as the worst
While Di Maria struggled with United, Neville does not believe that he is the worst offender, having eventually selected Brazilian winger Antony as the club's worst-ever signing. He added: “When you’re looking at massive outlays, Antony. This is not a criticism of the boy, it’s reflective of United that he paid that money for him after panicking. I would say Antony and Di Maria. I’d have to say Antony.”
Antony joined United from Ajax in a deal worth around £81m in August 2022 to be reunited with former boss Erik ten Hag. But his move ended up being a disaster, having scored just 12 goals in 96 appearances. He was shipped out on loan to Spanish side Real Betis after two-and-a-half years and eventually joined the club on a permanent basis at a huge loss. He has since recovered his form in La Liga, with 23 goals in 80 games for Betis.
