It took up until the last minute, but hey, they eventually got the deals done, and that’s all that counts. The Manchester United “bomb squad” is a decently-sized group of players that will never suit up for the team again. With Rasmus Holjund, he was no longer part of the plan while Antony made a long overdue permanent switch. And Jadon Sancho simply wore out his welcome and burned all potential bridges a very long time ago.
Hojlund went out on loan to Napoli while Antony joined Real Betis. Sancho goes out on loan to Aston Villa. Let’s break it all down.
Rasmus Hojlund
Once Benjamin Sesko was signed, the writing was on the wall for him to leave. Initially linked to AC Milan, and having starred at Atalanta, Serie A seemed to be his destiny all along. The club officially confirmed his loan to Napoli. “We’d like to wish Rasmus good luck for the campaign ahead,” they posted in a club statement.
At least his transfer saga was not protracted. Not at all. According to the BBC, the loan deal includes an obligation to buy clause, which means he’ll “make a permanent £38m transfer to the Serie A side next summer.”
That’s a lot less than the £72m they paid for him, but hey, you got to cut your losses sometimes.
Jadon Sancho
According to Sky Sports, Aston Villa will pay a loan fee (not reported as of yet) and 80% of the player’s wages this season, which is the final year of his United contract. However, the club do hold a one year option beyond that, which they will exercise if they can’t permanently sell him next summer.
If that’s the case, then at least they can get some money back on their investment (arguably the worst in club history). We’ve already talked more than enough about what a flip this guy is/was, so let’s just move on. Sancho reunites with Victor Lindelof at Villa Park.
Antony
The Brazilian, who is considered one of the biggest busts in club history, excelled while out on loan at Real Betis last summer. It’s good that the two sides finally figured it out, as the haggling over price created so much unnecessary public drama. This transfer saga grew way too tedious, but now it’s over completes a permanent move for a transfer fee of £21.65m.
That’s a major loss from the £80m that they signed to get him from Ajax. But hey, getting anything back is basically a win for United at this point.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter