Gary Neville names Antony as Man Utd's worst signing since Sir Alex Ferguson retired

Gary Neville has named Antony as Manchester United’s worst signing since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, placing the £81m Brazilian winger narrowly ahead of Angel Di Maria in his personal ranking of the club’s most costly transfer errors.

Speaking to The Athletic, the former United and England defender was candid about both signings. “Di Maria was a bad one and I was so excited about him, by the way,” Neville said. “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.”

Di Maria arrived from Real Madrid in the summer of 2014 for £59.7m, generating enormous excitement at Old Trafford. He managed four goals and 11 assists in a single season before being sold to Paris Saint-Germain at a loss. The Argentine subsequently played for Juventus and Benfica before returning to his homeland with Rosario Central in 2025.

Despite Di Maria’s troubled spell, Neville ultimately pointed to Antony as the more damaging acquisition. “When you’re looking at massive outlays, Antony,” he said. “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 August 2022 for around £81m to link up again with then-manager Erik ten Hag. The move proved a disappointment from the outset, with the winger contributing just 12 goals across 96 appearances. After two and a half years he was loaned to Real Betis in La Liga, who subsequently signed him on a permanent basis at a significant loss.

The 25-year-old has since rediscovered his best form in Spain, scoring 23 goals in 80 games for Betis — a return that only sharpens the sense of what United failed to unlock during his time at Old Trafford.

Neville’s assessment underlines the scale of United’s post-Ferguson transfer struggles. The club have not won the Premier League since Ferguson stepped down, despite spending hundreds of millions in pursuit of a revival.