Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis have reportedly failed with another attempt to sign Manchester United forward Antony.
According to Diario de Sevilla via Sport Witness, Real Betis have Antony as a priority target for this summer, thanks to his sensational loan spell last season. They have been working on a potential transfer for a while now, but haven’t been able to put forward a proposal that pleases Manchester United. The Spanish club have been exploring various methods to sign the 25-year-old winger. But things haven’t worked out for them so far.
Antony made a name for himself at Ajax and on the back of his sensational rise, United forked out a massive €95 million to add him to their squad back in 2022. They had a lot of expectations from the Brazilian winger, but he has failed to live up to them.
After struggling for form and game time at Old Trafford, he ended up joining Betis on loan at the start of the year. He was involved in a total of 26 matches for the Spanish club and even contributed towards 14 goals (9 goals, 5 assists).
Antony certainly managed to revive himself at Betis. While he is back at his parent club, the La Liga club are keen on acquiring his services permanently. They have been working on a potential transfer, but haven’t made any significant progress just yet.
Real Betis keep pushing for Antony’s signature
They have been in talks with United and have proposed multiple offers, but the financial side hasn’t satisfied the Red Devils. Betis feel they have time on their side; as a result, they continue to explore various methods to get their top target.
While Ruben Amorim’s team are ready to sell, they want around €35 million for the 25-year-old who cost them a fortune three years back. However, Betis’ current proposals haven’t come anywhere close to United’s asking price. In reality, the Spanish club can’t afford such a figure, and they have suggested a loan deal with a buy option.
The Premier League club are unlikely to accept such a deal. They would only sanction another loan move if it includes an obligation to buy, as Antony’s contract runs until 2027, and his value could drop further next summer. They fear Betis might opt against triggering the buy option and attempt to renegotiate then.
So far, the Spanish club have tried various approaches to sign the 25-year-old. They submitted another proposal recently, but it was turned down by United. While Betis haven’t given up, they still have a long way to go before securing his signature.