"He's not good enough for this level" – Jaap Stam criticizes big money Manchester United signing after UCL elimination

Ex-Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has slammed Antony for his below-par run of form after the Old Trafford outfit's recent UEFA Champions League exit.

Antony, 23, started his team's 1-0 home loss to UEFA Champions League Group A winners Bayern Munich on Tuesday (December 12). He failed to register either his first goal or first assist of the season against the Bundesliga champions, drawing a lot of scrutiny along the way.

Speaking to the Stick To Football, Stam claimed that Antony is not good enough to represent Manchester United. He said (h/t Football365):

"From what I've seen from Antony, he's not good enough for this level that we're looking for at United. Because you're also looking for a player who can have a difficult time and struggle when he comes in, but where he is making progress to get to that level."

Asserting that Antony has shown little signs of progress, Stam added:

"When you're looking at Antony now, at this moment, you don't see where he can make the progress to make the next step in the Premier League to be up there with the top wingers who can make a difference."

Sharing his thoughts on the Brazilian winger's time at Ajax, Stam said:

"In Holland, he did okay but it wasn't like he was the best player in Holland. He did okay for Ajax but then again, they're playing in a league with a couple of good players, and the rest of the league, with all respect, are mediocre players. [Ajax] always dominating so he could always do his trickery and play a one-two."

Expressing his shock at Antony's reported £86 million fee, Stam added:

"But at this level, and that's down to recruitment together with the management, they need to make the right choices to bring the players in who can really make a difference in the Premier League. I was surprised by Antony's fee."

So far, Antony has found the back of the net eight times and provided three assists in 61 games across competitions for Manchester United.

Fabrizio Romano says 2 clubs want to sign Manchester United star Donny van de Beek

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Eintracht Frankfurt are currently the front-runners to loan in Manchester United outcast Donny van de Beek. Girona are also hoping to sign the Dutch midfielder on a short-term loan deal in the upcoming January transfer window.

Van de Beek, 26, has severely struggled to get first-team minutes under his belt so far this season. He has managed to make just two substitute appearances for Erik ten Hag's outfit in the 2023-24 term.

Overall, Van de Beek has featured in 62 games for Manchester United.