Manchester United warned they signed the wrong player as bargain Brighton buy shines

Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton & Hove Albion in action during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 match between AFC Ajax and Brighton & Hove Albion at Johan Cruijff Arena on November 09, 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Andy Cole believes the price Brighton paid for Kaoru Mitoma makes a mockery of the fee Manchester United forked out to sign Antony.

Albion signed the Japanese international from Kawasaki Frontale in 2021 for just under £3 million, whereas the Red Devils spent £82m, which could rise to £86m with add-ons, on the Ajax winger a year later.

Both made their Premier League debuts last season and since then, Mitoma, 26, has scored 13 goals and bagged 12 assists in 60 matches, with the Brazilian finding the net eight times and turning provider on three occasions in 57 games.

As a result, former United striker Cole has questioned why Erik ten Hag's men paid so much for the 23-year-old, whose stats are dwarfed by Seagulls ace Mitoma.

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He told the Metro: "I sometimes have to ask myself what Antony’s strengths are? He doesn’t take players on, he doesn’t create chances and he doesn’t score goals. So what are his strengths?

"We [United] paid a massive amount of money for him. When you look at a club like Brighton who signed Mitoma for £2.7 million, then you have to ask what market are Manchester United shopping in when Brighton pays that for Mitoma and we end up paying £86 million for Antony? Are we not shopping in the same market?

"It’s like Primark and Zara; you think by paying more to shop at Zara, the quality will be better, but it turns out to be the same as Primark, so you end up paying more for the same thing."