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Of all the problems Manchester United have faced this season, on and off the pitch, the most unexpected one has been the saga involving Antony.
The domestic violence allegations levelled against him have developed into a “he said, she said” case where nothing is clear, but United have stepped in and sent him on an extended leave while a verdict is reached.
However, recent reports indicate that the club could have avoided it all if proper due diligence had been done before securing his signature.
James Ducker of The Telegraph reports that Antony has been under investigation in response to the complaints since May 2022, when the initial reports were filed.
This was almost three months before the Brazilian arrived at Old Trafford.
United spent the whole summer chasing the then Ajax man as he looked to be Erik ten Hag’s undisputed No. 1 target on the right wing.
Ultimately, he signed in a highly lucrative deal worth nearly £85 million as the footballing world batted their eyelids at the sum spent on the player.
However, it is unclear if United knew of these investigations at the time but if they did, then it would be another hit to their due diligence credentials.
This would be the second time in a short span.
Earlier, there were reports that Jadon Sancho has been a problematic character with regard to his professionalism from his Borussia Dortmund days but United pressed ahead with his signing anyway.
That revelation, combined with this recent Antony bombshell poses question marks on United’s recruitment policy and process, which has come under the scanner for its extreme reliance on Ten Hag.
As of the time of writing, Antony remains on an extended leave away from the club and the investigation into the allegations against him remains ongoing.
