IF Antony could have written the script for his Manchester United debut himself, it likely wouldn’t have strayed too far from the reality of how it panned out: scoring the opening goal in an emphatic victory over the league leaders in front of his adoring new faithful.

And the Brazilian winger’s performance in his 58-minute showing in the 3-1 won over Arsenal gave fans inside Old Trafford a glimpse of what they can expect from their latest big-money arrival, and why manager Erik ten Hag was so desperate to sign the 22-year-old.

His calmly slotted side-foot finish to put United ahead in the 35th minute set the tone for his new side’s counter-attacking march toward a valuable three points and proved the value of a left-footer operating on the right side – something United previously lacked.

But Antony wasn’t content simply to shine in his United debut. He wanted to dazzle.

Ajax fans became accustomed to the nine-cap Brazil international’s penchant for tricks and flicks during his two years in Amsterdam, and the player has already outlined his commitment to entertaining at United.

“I’ve been doing it ever since I was a child,” Antony told the club’s official website of his crowd-pleasing trickery. “I’ve always done it – it’s one of my characteristics.

“I am adapting and getting used to things here already. Entertaining is something I’ve always liked and I’ll continue doing it.”

United have a long and rich history of gifted wingers who could drop jaws with feats of supreme skill – from George Best to Ryan Giggs to Cristiano Ronaldo in his first spell with the club.

But the wide men who’ve written their name into the club’s lore did so not by showboating purely for entertainment’s sake but instead by employing their fleet-footedness and inventiveness to evade defenders and burst into space, to conjure chances for others or work openings for their own scoring efforts.

Fortunately for United, Ten Hag began working to refine Antony’s trickery in such a manner throughout their time together at Ajax.

“He must focus on football,” Ten Hag said after deeming Antony to have over-elaborated too often during a 2-0 Dutch Cup win over AZ Alkmaar back in March. “He was a total threat, but he has to convert that into returns and not worry about frills or flourishes. He has to play more effectively, because he had chances to make the last pass.

“It was clear that he was very dangerous and on the one hand I enjoyed him, his speed, his pressure, the threat of his dribbles, but he could also have got more out of his play.”

And, despite this admonishment, Ten Hag clearly values Antony’s skillset. So much so that he green-lit United’s months-long pursuit of the Brazilian this summer, which finally culminated in the 20-time English champions forking out an eye-watering £86m to get their man, making him the second-most-expensive signing in the club’s history, behind only the then-world-record £89m repurchase Paul Pogba in 2016.

Initially, that price tag has caught the eye more than any amount of step-overs, pirouettes and over-the-head flicks Antony might care to produce on the pitch. The astronomical fee sets an unattainably high bar for the young forward. But United will be aware that their outlay represents a significant overpay. Antony was the attacker Ten Hag most wanted, and, in the end, they bent to Ajax’s inflated valuation.

A savvier transfer-market operator might have scoured the continent for a cheaper alternative who offers as much or more on the pitch than Antony. But, irrespective of the financial cost of acquiring him, what the former Sao Paolo player brings to the United attack is significant in itself.

First and foremost, Antony is a profile of wide forward United have lacked. Most – if not all – of the wingers already at the club prefer to play from the left. All of whom are right-footed and are at their most dangerous cutting inside on to their stronger foot. Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Anthony Elanga are adept at crashing into spaces between the opposition’s full-back and centre-back, with their predominant threat being as a scorer rather than a creator.

Jadon Sancho, last summer’s big-money arrival from Borussia Dortmund, is more in the Antony mould, able to play on either flank and a skilled dribbler who is primarily a creator.

But Sancho is most effective putting his deft footwork to use in short, often confined spaces within the final third, escaping the close attention of his marker with feints, close control and elusive trickery, or executing short, sharp bursts into space.

Antony, who can also play on either side of the attack but is at his best on the right, has a similar skillset in tight situations, but he is also a ball carrier, an outlet.

Despite his reputation as a coach of possession football, United’s improved performances under Ten Hag after their disastrous start to the campaign have come with a philosophical switch to counter-attacking play.

If United want or need to sit deep defensively before breaking forward with fast attacks, Antony’s pace, control, directness and ability to create at speed could make him a devastating weapon.

His usefulness as a turf-chewing counter outlet is evidenced by, per FBref.com, the fact he ranks in the 98th percentile among wingers and attacking midfielders for progressive passes received in the last year, based on his statistics in European competition for Ajax and his early United outings.

Expensive? Yes. Entertaining? Absolutely. But Antony also has the potential to be electric for United.