OFFICIAL: MU parts ways with a key figure after 18 years of service

A scout from Manchester United has officially left Old Trafford following an 18-year tenure.

Specifically, Antonio Cruz is the latest to depart from Man Utd's once extensive scouting network, as the club intensifies its use of AI data to support player recruitment in the coming period.

On his personal LinkedIn page, Antonio Cruz shared: “After 18 years working with Manchester United as an international scout, it is time for me to close this important chapter in my career. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey.”

During his time at Old Trafford, Cruz was responsible for first-team scouting in Portugal and Spain, providing detailed reports in both written and video formats. He also worked closely with the first-team analysis department whenever the Red Devils faced Portuguese clubs in European competitions.

Cruz held the role of first-team scout for Spain and Portugal since 2007, the year Man Utd signed Nani and Anderson from Sporting Lisbon and Porto respectively. Since then, the club has brought in only four more Portuguese players for the first team, including Bebe and Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo during his return to Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes, who joined Old Trafford in January 2020, is regarded as Man United’s best player since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Dalot arrived in 2018 at just 19 years old after special interest from coach Jose Mourinho. Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Man Utd in August 2021, after the club outbid Man City thanks to intervention from Sir Alex and former teammates.

Other Portuguese players signed by Man United during Cruz’s tenure include Marcos Rojo from Sporting, Victor Lindelof from Benfica, and Alex Telles from Porto. Lindelof stayed with the club for 8 years before leaving last summer but generally did not meet expectations, while Rojo and Telles left little impact.

In the Spanish market, David de Gea stands out as the most notable signing when he joined Man Utd in 2011. The goalkeeper later broke the club record for most appearances by a keeper before his contract was terminated in 2023. Juan Mata and Ander Herrera arrived in 2014, Victor Valdes joined on a free transfer in 2015, and Sergio Reguilon came on loan on the final day of the 2023 transfer window.

Man Utd has also signed several major stars from Real Madrid such as Angel Di Maria, Raphael Varane, and Casemiro, while Eric Bailly was Mourinho’s first signing, brought in from Villarreal in 2016. Bailly was only 22 at the time, contrasting with the trio from Real Madrid who were already world-class stars. Di Maria joined in 2014 for a then-British record fee of £59.7 million, Varane came in 2021, and Casemiro followed a year later.