The 25-year-old has failed to live up to the expectations at Old Trafford following his €95 million switch from Ajax in 2022. He has managed to make just 17 goal contributions in two-and-a-half seasons in England as he struggled for consistency under former manager Erik ten Hag.
But things have changed drastically since he moved to Spain to sign for Real Betis on loan in the January transfer window. The winger has rediscovered his form, scoring six goals and providing four assists in just 19 games for the La Liga side.
It is said that the pressure of the price tag and playing for a club like Man United might have affected him. Things are finally on track for Antony, and he is happy to continue playing at Betis.
INEOS are aware that now is the best chance to recoup a decent fee for the Brazilian star. Several top clubs are already enquiring about his availability, and the race will be worth watching.
As per UOL, Betis will face stiff competition from Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, with United demanding a fee in the region of €30-40m for their attacker.
The source also claims that Betis are finding it difficult to meet this asking price and could be open for another loan deal. However, the Gunners have asked for details of this deal, and they are keen to land the former São Paulo ace.
Man United would prefer not to strengthen a direct rival, but INEOS are desperate to get rid of his wages from their financial books. The Red Devils are desperate to sell him and use those funds to help Ruben Amorim get his desired players this summer.
Meanwhile, Betis CEO Ramon Alarcon stated that he is more optimistic that the deal will move forward. He said: “When we spoke about the possibility of bringing Antony in January, I saw it as more distant than I see now him staying.”
“It’s because both Manchester United and the player have seen that Real Betis is a great place for the player to develop. Right now I’m more optimistic than in January.
Antony is also enjoying his life at the Spanish club, but it is unlikely that they will splash a huge sum to land him. They would either negotiate for a lower fee or convince United to let them have the winger for another year.
Although Arsenal can easily splash the required sum for the 25-year-old, we believe that it is not an absolute necessity to get him since there are better proven players in the market. Also, the former Ajax star looks better suited to La Liga than the English Premier League.
He might again struggle to make amends at one of the most physically challenging leagues in the world. His fast-paced style of playing football can work wonders in Spain. Hence, it would be much better to avoid taking risks and access more options ahead of the summer transfer window.
