Manchester United are still yet to have any success this summer when it comes to selling players.
The summer rebuild started strong with the arrival of Matheus Cunha from Wolves in a £62.5 million deal.
Manchester United then quickly turned their attention to Bryan Mbeumo, but talks with Brentford have now lasted well over a month with Ineos now preparing a third bid for Mbeumo to try and finalise a deal.
Beyond that, any further incomings will likely depend on sales and that has proven to be very difficult this summer. Ineos were confident about selling Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, but all three are still on the books at United heading into July.
Real Betis are showing strong interest in Antony following his impressive loan spell last season, but a permanent sale will be complex.
Antony disappointed in the Europa Conference League
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Real Betis president issues update on Antony talks
United continue to demand £40m for Antony this summer and Betis are keen to reach an agreement for the Brazilian.
Antony wants to join Betis this summer, but Ineos are understandably refusing to budge on their asking price. A £40m sale would already represent a huge loss on the £81m signing.
Betis president Angel Haro has now commented on the club’s ongoing talks with Antony.
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As quoted by EstadioDeportivo, Haro said: “We’re talking to the player because coming to Betis entails a considerable reduction in salary, because we have to maintain our financial rigor and we don’t want to break it.
“He’s a fantastic player; he’s given us a lot in the last six months, but we have to get everything right; we can’t go crazy. We’re working on that path because it’s not easy.
“We’re very imaginative when it comes to approaching this type of transaction, but it’s complex. It involves the player, who loves Betis, but he also has to consider his own interests.”
Real Betis made co-ownership offer to Ineos for Antony
It is clear that Betis desperately want Antony to return this summer but so far they are struggling to justify spending £40m.
Betis have been raising cash through sales of their own, which should give them funds to afford Antony, but first they are exploring a creative solution for both clubs.
Betis proposed ‘joint ownership’ of Antony with United – a unique offer which would see the Spanish club buy a percentage of Antony’s rights for the 2025/26 season.
READ MORE: Real Betis boss ‘not surprised’ by what Antony has just done in Manchester United talks
They would then gradually increase their ownership of Antony over the next three years which would see United pocket more than their asking price but over a longer period of time.
Reports from Spain suggest Betis were optimistic about their offer after presenting it to United, but such a complex deal was never going to be finalised quickly.