"Antony ended up moving from Ajax to Manchester United and it's fair to say he proved to be a major flop at Old Trafford, but he's since revived his career in Spain with Real Betis. It seems Cruyff remains a big fan of Antony, describing him as a special player on today's episode of The Overlap. The 51-year-old said, however, that Barca ultimately chose to sign Raphinha over Antony because of the club's financial issues at the time."
"Barcelona have been under a lot of pressure due to the Financial Fair Play rules in La Liga, and Cruyff felt that signing Antony might be riskier than Raphinha. Although Cruyff is a fan of Antony, he felt that if he flopped at the Nou Camp it would be hard to make any money back on him later, whereas if Raphinha struggled he would probably have suitors in England due to shining at Leeds United."
"Antony, meanwhile, didn't make it at United but has perhaps at least shown with Betis that he can be a top performer in La Liga. Even if we'll never know now, it's perhaps a shame for Antony that he didn't end up moving to Barcelona when they had an interest in him, as it could have been a better step for him when it came to leaving Ajax."
Barcelona nearly signed Antony from Ajax but opted to sign Raphinha instead because of financial constraints and perceived lower resale risk under La Liga Financial Fair Play. Raphinha arrived with an established profile from Leeds and represented a safer transfer with potential English suitors if he struggled. Antony moved to Manchester United, failed to settle there, and later revived his career at Real Betis in Spain. Raphinha became a strong signing for Barcelona. The decision reflected risk management under FFP and differing marketability between the two players. A move to Barcelona might have offered Antony a smoother transition from Ajax.
Read at www.caughtoffside.com
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