Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has urged Manchester United to give Antony more time to find his feet in the Premier League.

The Brazilian forward was Erik ten Hag's marquee signing in his first summer transfer window at Old Trafford. The Reds splashed £86m on the winger, who had played under the Dutchman at Ajax previously.

After a bright initial start to life in the Premier League, Antony soon began to falter and ended his first season in the top flight with just four goals and two assists to his name. This record has shown little sign of improving, with the 24-year-old still showing little promise.

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This season, Antony has just one goal and one assist in the top flight with that goal coming last weekend in the draw against Burnley. Despite all signs pointing to him being a flop, Babel is adamant the Reds should stick with him.

"A player like Antony needs time to adapt in England," the ex-Liverpool man told Ladbrokes Fanzone. "He’s 24 now, and I think he learned a lot – the hard way – this season.

"The gap between Holland and the Premier League is massive. So the things that have worked for him in the Eredivisie, haven’t necessarily worked for him in England.

"I definitely believe he’s learned things the hard way, but he’ll soon be able to reset and prepare again for next season. I’m sure he’ll learn from his mistakes, and if he gets the chance, he can still be great for Manchester United.

"Knowing what he’s capable of, and taking into consideration what’s been a really challenging year for him, if Antony is able to score at least 10 goals next season, that should be considered a decent campaign for him. We don’t know how much he’ll play next season, but 10 goals, for me, is an acceptable return for him, especially when you consider what other players in similar positions are delivering."

Unfortunately for Antony, he may not be given the luxury of the summer to address his form. MEN Sport understands Sir Jim Ratcliffe is aiming to make dramatic changes to the playing squad in a bid to bring down the wage bill at Old Trafford.

Just four players are set to be immune from being sold - Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo and Andre Onana. It was revealed this week that United spend the most weekly on player wages in the Premier League.