Jordi Cruyff Reveals the “Special Player” Barcelona Nearly Signed Instead of Man Utd
So, this is quite an interesting one from Jordi Cruyff, because he’s opened up about a transfer story that could have changed the paths of two big clubs. While speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Cruyff admitted that during his time as Barcelona’s sporting director, he actually pushed for a move to sign Antony—yes, the same Antony who later joined Manchester United for a massive fee.
Cruyff explained that Barcelona were desperate for a winger at the time, and both Antony and Raphinha were on the table. But the situation wasn’t as simple as choosing one talent over another—it was shaped heavily by Barcelona’s financial crisis. The club had been dealing with enormous debt, the same situation that led to Lionel Messi’s emotional departure. Because of that, every transfer had to be justified not only from a sporting perspective but also financially. There was no room for taking a risk that couldn’t be undone.
He revealed that Antony impressed Barcelona’s scouting and ticked many boxes stylistically. Cruyff even called him a “special player,” and he still believes that today—pointing out how Antony has revived his career at Real Betis after struggling at Manchester United. But Barcelona were working under strict Financial Fair Play limits, and Antony’s eventual price tag—far higher than anyone initially expected—made the situation tricky. The club needed a signing with resale security, someone they could offload without taking a major financial hit if things didn’t work out.
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That’s where Raphinha came in. Because he was shining at Leeds United in the Premier League, Barcelona believed there would always be a strong market for him in England. In the end, Raphinha was seen as the safer long-term investment, and Barcelona chose him instead.
Meanwhile, Antony went to Manchester United, reunited with Erik ten Hag, and carried the weight of an £82m price tag. It didn’t pan out the way United had hoped, but Cruyff insisted that the Brazilian still has qualities that made him attractive to elite clubs at the time.
Cruyff also joked with Gary Neville about how thoroughly Barcelona monitored both players, saying they looked “at both basically,” but it was ultimately the financial strategy—not the talent—that pushed Antony off the table.
It’s one of those “what if” moments in football. Antony might have been a completely different player today had he gone down the classic Ajax-to-Barcelona path followed by so many before him—including Jordi’s own legendary father, Johan Cruyff.
In hindsight, Barcelona’s choice worked out with Raphinha becoming a success, while Antony’s career took a more winding route. But hearing Cruyff speak now, it’s clear that Antony was much closer to wearing Barcelona colours than most people ever realised.
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