Manchester United still intend to sell Antony this summer following his impressive loan spell with Real Betis, but rejected a ‘swap deal’ offer launched by Juventus, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Red Devils have been active in the early stages of the transfer window, tying up the signing of Matheus Cunha, while they continue to pursue Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo.
Ruben Amorim is still keen to strengthen in other areas, however, and selling unwanted stars like Antony – and getting his reported £150,000 per week wage off the books – will give Man Utd more financial wiggle room.
According to reliable journalist Romano, The Red Devils turned down the opportunity to swap Antony for Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz, after the Italian club made an approach ‘a few weeks ago.’
Romano told GiveMeSport that Juventus felt it would be a ‘smart move’ following Antony’s resurgence at Betis, where he notched nine goals and five assists in 26 games while on loan.
Aston Villa sold Brazilian international Luiz to Juventus as they looked to avoid a breach of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR).
However, despite the midfielder being one of Villa’s best players in the 2023/24 campaign, he has struggled to adapt to life in Italy and has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League. Romano claims Juventus ‘wanted’ Antony and ‘explored’ the swap deal, but the recent exit of sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has ended their pursuit, for now at least.
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Man Utd are desperate to offload Antony
Man Utd know that they are likely to make a hefty loss on the £82m they paid to sign Antony from Ajax in 2022 – but the 25-year-old is generating interest.
It’s no secret that Betis would love to retain Antony and are plotting a record-breaking move to keep him. However, their approach isn’t ideal for The Red Devils.
A recent report from The Mail claims that Betis are keen re-sign Antony on loan, and want to include a £35m buy option, rather than an obligation.
£35m would be a new club-record signing for the Spanish side, but the fact that Man Utd would not be guaranteed a fee is a major drawback for them.
If Man Utd do insist it’s a permanent transfer or nothing, Liverpool’s impending move for Florian Wirtz might actually work in their favour.
Bayer Leverkusen – who haveaccepted Liverpool’s £116m bid for the German superstar – hold interest in signing Antony.
Clearly, the types of sums Man Utd will demand for Antony will not pose a problem for Leverkusen once Wirtz departs.
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