Antony moved to Old Trafford on deadline day for a sum in excess of £85m after being courted by manager Erik ten Hag for the duration of the transfer window.
Groningen sold striker Jorgen Strand Larsen to La Liga side Celta Vigo for around £9m, holding off until the 31st of August despite interest from Middlesbrough and Bologna earlier in the window.
Fledderus was quick to point out that there was a good reason for delaying the inevitable, just so the club could add to their coffers as much as possible for one of their best performers during the 2021/22 season.
The Dutchman referenced Antony’s sale by Ajax on deadline day as a case in point, noting that Groningen would have missed out on millions if the Norwegian forward had been sold earlier.
“There is a reason for that. The highest amounts are paid when the pressure is high, just look at Antony and Ajax”, Fledderus told Dutch magazine Voetbal International.
“I’m not going to give exact amounts, but if we had chosen to sell Jorgen before the start of the competition, it would have saved millions compared to the final deal.”
Antony has hit the ground running in the Premier League, scoring on his Premier League debut in a 3-1 win at Old Trafford versus leaders Arsenal.
