Antony, who moved to Old Trafford from Ajax in a deal ultimately worth a staggering £86m (€104.1m, $108m) – the second-biggest signing in Manchester United history – has revealed how close he came to signing for one of the Red Devils’ most fierce rivals. However, after persuading the Red Devils to pay such a huge sum for the winger, Erik ten Hag was fired by United earlier this season, and his signing was one of the swords he faced.
Having contributed to a meagre 17 goals in 96 appearances for the Red Devils, it came as no surprise when the club pushed to move him out in the winter window, where he eventually secured a loan move to Real Betis for the remainder of the season.
But since moving to Andalusia, Antony has enjoyed something of a career revival, scoring three times and adding two assists from six appearances so far for Los Verdiblancos.
Thriving under Manuel Pellegrini, Antony’s form in Spain so far has served as a timely reminder of the abilities the player does have in his locker after months of self-doubt and loathing from the terraces.
That fresh start has already led to claims that Antony could make his stay there permanent. But if Betis thought they were in line for a bargain, they will need to think twice after a report from Spain provided an update.
Antony’s move to Spain was done as a dry loan only, with Betis not securing either an option or an obligation to make it permanent. But having seen how his career has sparked back into life, Fichajes claims the LaLiga side are already ‘exploring options’ to secure his stay on a long-term arrangement.
This comes after Ratcliffe, United’s minority shareholder, allegedly informed Betis that a €50 million fee (£41.3 million, $52.4 million) would be required to finalise the transfer at the end of the current campaign.
According to the source, Betis has already stated that they are likely to have to end the conversation after learning the expense of making the move permanent, with Ratcliffe’s demands “making the operation seem practically impossible.”
Antony’s price request is a severe setback for Betis.
To put things in perspective, Betis’ most recent transfer record is the €30 million they paid for Denilson, another Brazilian winger, back in 1998!
Since then, they have only acquired two players for more than €20 million: Giovani Lo Celso from PSG in 2019 and Borja Ingelsias from Espanyol in 2019.
Therefore, it won’t be shocking to learn that United’s demands for the player would either force Betis to leave the team completely or enquire about the possibilities of signing him again on loan for a second season.
Having agreed to cover some 84% of the Brazilian’s £200,000 a week wages, Betis will hope a similar arrangement could yet twist United’s arm.
In the meantime, Antony has spoken of how he is enjoying his football again in Spain.
“I am very happy here, but I do not know what will happen in the future,” he told Kooora. “I always say that I enjoy every day, with the club, the city, everything, and I give my best for the team. It is still too early to talk about my future.”
Antony also said: “I think that to regain my confidence, the most important thing was to reconnect with myself. I found that here, and that’s why I’m very happy and more confident every day.”
The player has also revealed he came close to a move to Liverpool prior to signing for United.
“I was very close to signing for Liverpool, but you never know what would have happened. In the end, I went to Manchester and had great moments there, and that was a good choice as well.”
Leave a Reply