Antony
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Manchester United’s summer business remains stalled on the sales front, with no major outgoings completed despite a strong start to the window.
Matheus Cunha’s £62.5 million arrival from Wolves sparked early optimism, and United quickly followed up by launching talks for Bryan Mbeumo.
But negotiations with Brentford have dragged on for over a month, and a third bid is now being prepared.
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Further additions to Ruben Amorims’ squad are unlikely unless United can raise funds, yet expected exits have failed to materialise.
INEOS had high hopes of offloading the likes of Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.
Yet all three remain at the club in July.
Antony in particular, remains a player who Betis are keen on signing permanently.
Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo recently spoke on the club’s intentions for the Brazilian.
Now, Real Betis president Angel Haro has spoken out on their plans.
He revealed the club’s plan to sign Antony permanently, after the Brazilian impressed during a loan spell last season.
Speaking to Estadio Deportivo, Haro said: “We’re talking to the player because coming to Betis entails a considerable reduction in salary.
“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.
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“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.”
While Betis are keen to strike a deal, United are holding firm on receiving at least £20-£25m.
That is despite it being a huge markdown on the £81 million they paid Ajax.
To bridge the gap, Betis proposed a unique ‘joint ownership’ model, where they would initially purchase a percentage of Antony’s rights before gradually increasing their stake over a three-year period.
This would allow United to receive a larger fee than the asking price – albeit over time.
Betis remain optimistic about their creative proposal, but a deal of this complexity is unlikely to be wrapped up quickly.
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