Manchester United have missed out on a major payday following Real Betis’ decision on the future of Antony.
Flop
To say Antony was a flop at United would be a massive understatement.
Signed in the summer of 2022 from Ajax in a massive deal worth around ÂŁ81m, Antony failed to come anywhere close to justifying that massive price tag.
He encountered difficulties in acclimatising to the Premier League and was often characterised as a limited player, with critics pointing to his disproportionate reliance on his left foot.
The Brazilian managed a mere 12 goals in 96 appearances for the Red Devils. He went out on loan to Betis and impressed there, prompting the La Liga side to make his signing permanent.
Antony cost Betis €21m. United embedded certain contractual mechanisms within the agreement that would ensure a sizeable financial return in the event of the player’s future transfer.
Antony setback
According to Mateo González of ABC Sevilla, Betis received a €50m (£42.7m) bid for Antony from an unnamed non-Premier League club.
United inserted a sell-on clause that would see them receive around 50 percent of the profit that Betis made from offloading Antony.
United would have received approximately €15m (£12.8m) had Betis accepted the offer for Antony. But Betis declined, leaving the English club without the anticipated funds.
Betis, it is understood, view Antony as an indispensable part of their squad and are reluctant to sanction his exit. There are also concerns over whether they could identify and secure a replacement of comparable quality.
Antony has been mentioned to be on Besiktas’, who are eyeing alternative targets after missing out on Mohamed Salah.
Meanwhile, Michael Carrick and his players open their Premier League season on Saturday when they face Hull City.
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Overall credibility: 7/10
Why?
âś… Reported by a source with a strong record for Real Betis news.
âś… Man United inserted a sell-on clause in the deal to send Antony to Betis permanently.
⚠️ Actual identity of the bidding club is not revealed.
We believe Antony may have been the subject of a bid but the club is not known and it remains to be seen whether there are any further developments.
Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images
