Betis' Antony celebrates after scoring during a soccer game between Belgian KAA Gent and Spanish Real Betis Sevilla,Thursday 13 February 2025 in Gent, the first leg of the Knockout phase play-offs of the UEFA Conference League competitionBetis' Antony celebrates after scoring during a soccer game between Belgian KAA Gent and Spanish Real Betis Sevilla,Thursday 13 February 2025 in Gent, the first leg of the Knockout phase play-offs of the UEFA Conference League competition
Betis' Antony celebrates after scoring during a soccer game between Belgian KAA Gent and Spanish Real Betis Sevilla,Thursday 13 February 2025 in Gent, the first leg of the Knockout phase play-offs of the UEFA Conference League competition | BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images
One of Man Utd’s January loan departures is enjoying a new lease of life
Manchester United winger Antony scored for a second-straight game as he inspired loan club Real Betis to a 3-0 win over Belgian side Gent in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.
The Brazilian left Old Trafford at the end of January as he moved to La Liga for the remainder of the season. He scored in a dramatic 3-2 loss to Celta Vigo at the weekend and found the net again as he curled in an effort from the edge of the penalty area to give Betis the lead on Thursday night.
The 24-year-old joined the Red Devils for a staggering £86m in the summer of 2022 but struggled to live up to his price tag. He has played 96 times for United, scoring 12 goals and providing five assists. This campaign his only goal came from the penalty spot in a 7-0 demolition of League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. His strike on Thursday means he has already scored more goals for Betis this season than he did in the first half of the campaign for United.
Antony addresses loan exit
After the goal and win, Antony claimed he knew he’d be happy leaving United for Betis. He said after Thursday’s victory: “In my heart I knew that I would be very happy at Betis, I was sure about that. This win goes for the fans, they never stop supporting us”.
Speaking about his decision to join Betis, Antony said earlier this month: “I had other proposals, but when Betis appeared I felt a certainty in my heart that made me stay calm. I'm happy here and I want to conquer many goals. I'm happy here for everyone, for the coach and the players. I feel calm and confident. I want to find my best version and the first step is to be happy.
“Everything here is incredible, my family and I are happy. Now it's time to work to be at my best and help the club in everything. I'm going to give my life at Betis, not only in the match but in training. I will always do that. It's 100 per cent that I'm going to do that.”
Could Antony make permanent move to Betis?
Antony’s long-term future at United appears in doubt with the club sanctioning his loan exit despite their struggles for goals. The Red Devils will need to sell players in the summer in order to raise funds for any potential incomings.
Asked if he could stay at Betis beyond his loan, Antony said: “To stay at Betis? You have to respect the process, I went through difficult times. If I have to stay longer, I would have to talk to the president and everything. And at the moment I want to play and score goals and give assists. I must help the team. Later we can talk about that."
In other news, United have reportedly approached Malaysian car manufacturer Perodua over a potential sponsorship deal.