Manchester United's £86 million signing who struggled under the Premier League's intensity.
Antony Matheus dos Santos was born in Osasco, Brazil in 2000. Ajax developed him after São Paulo's academy and he won two Eredivisie titles. Manchester United paid £85.5 million for him in 2022 — a fee that was almost immediately considered excessive. His Premier League career produced 12 goals in two seasons — far below the productivity required to justify the transfer. He was placed on compassionate leave in 2023 following allegations of assault by a former partner — allegations he denied — that generated significant media attention. He returned to training and then to the team. He represented Brazil 22 times. His technical skill — close dribbling and the ability to beat defenders on the right wing — was evident in Ajax's system but the Premier League's physical intensity and speed presented challenges that his fee amplified beyond proportion. He remains one of the most discussed examples of a player whose transfer fee created expectations impossible to manage in a deteriorating team environment.
Eredivisie 2x
Career Honours
- Eredivisie 2x
- DFB-Pokal (2022)
- Copa América squad