The agent of on-loan Manchester United winger Antony has launched an astonishing attack on Ruben Amorim after hitting out at the Portuguese coach in a tirade which will surely ensure the Brazilian star has no way back at Old Trafford.
The winger joined the north-west giants in a mega-money move from Ajax in the summer of 2023 after former boss Erik ten Hag convinced the Red Devils board to fork out a fee that would eventually top a somewhat-staggering £86m (€104.1m, $108m) once add-ons had been factored in. However, the second most costly signing in Manchester United history was rarely able to show why he was valued at such a price, coming in for constant criticism from fans and media alike.
Having contributed towards just 17 goals (12 scored, five assists) in 96 appearances for the Red Devils, it was little surprise that United moved the winger on just as soon as Amorim had got his feet under the table at Old Trafford, Antony going on to join Real Betis on loan for the remainder of the season in a move that will see the LaLiga side picking up 70% of his £200,000 a week wages.
Despite his struggles at Old Trafford, the move to Spain has clearly done Antony lots of good.
And when asked recently to explain why he’s doing so well in Andalusia, United boss Amorim recently remarked: “Antony is so much better now in Spain. It’s [because of] a lot of factors, but I guarantee you it’s physicality.”
However, the winger’s agent is far from happy at Amorim and has now used an interview with Marca to hit back at the Portuguese.
“We respect the opinion of coach Ruben Amorim, but we completely disagree with his analysis,” agent Junior Pedroso said.
“To attribute Antony’s lack of success at Manchester United solely to a physical issue is a very superficial argument and out of touch with reality. Antony did not have enough prominence or the confidence needed to show his best football.
“Of the 15 games that Amorim managed at Manchester United, Antony only played in nine, with a total of 252 minutes played. This represents only 18.6 per cent of the total possible minutes (1,350 minutes). How can you judge a player without a minimum sequence that demonstrates his worth?”
GO DEEPER 🔴⚫How Amorim, Ten Hag made Antony ‘disappear’ at Man Utd revealed as Real Betis insider cracks case
Has Amorim shown a lack of respect to LaLiga with Antony assessment?
Having contributed three goals and two assists from seven appearances so far, Antony has reminded the watching world of his talents and with Manuel Pellegrini seemingly finding a way to get the best out of the mercurial talent.
Continuing his attack on Amorim, Pedroso claimed Antony’s struggles at Old Trafford could actually be attributed to the failures of United’s coaching staff.
The agent also feels the comments devalue LaLiga.
“This statement, even if unintentional, ends up devaluing LaLiga and the Spanish competitions. Spanish football has one of the most competitive leagues in the world, with top-level teams that constantly compete in the final stages of the Champions League and the Europa League,” Pedroso continued.
“The reality is that Antony, since arriving at Betis, has become one of the best players in the team and in the competition itself, demonstrating his full potential when given the right conditions to develop his game.
“This makes it clear that the problem was not his physicality but rather the context and the way he was coached in Manchester.
“Many players who do not thrive at United find success at other clubs, which leads us to question whether the problem really lies with the players.”
Betis CEO, Ramon Alarcon, has already made clear his wishes to keep Amtony at the club beyond this season, despite not having an option to make the move permanent.
“I think so (we could keep Antony long-term). The other day, the CEO of United called me. We sent them all the moves and details of the player throughout the week so that they can see that we are looking after their asset,” said Alarcon on ABC De Sevilla.
“There is very good chemistry with Manchester [United] and with the player. It is a possibility that he will continue next season, why not?”
Antony has also made his feelings clear about a move to LaLiga on a permanent basis.
“I am very happy here, but I do not know what will happen in the future,” he toldKooora. “I always say that I enjoy every day with the club, the city, everything, and I give my best for the team. It is still too early to talk about my future.”
Antony also said: “I think that to regain my confidence, the most important thing was to reconnect with myself. I found that here, and that’s why I’m very happy and more confident every day.”
Latest Man Utd transfer news: Harry Kane advice; Sociedad defender linked
Meanwhile, United have been urged by a former goalkeeper turned pundit to do all in their power to sign Harry Kane if they are serious about winning major trophies such as the Premier League, while Amorim has also been sent advice over an expensive flop.
The Red Devils are also reportedly interested in signing Nayef Aguerd, with a Spanish report revealing whether they could beat Real Sociedad to the signing of the West Ham United-owned central defender, who will come up against them in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
Elsewhere, shock revelations have come to light over why Liverpool turned their back on the chance to appoint Amorim last summer as the successor to Jurgen Klopp in a real sliding doors moment and amid fears of a £400m transfer bill.
And finally, there is a big update from Ben Jacobs on Man Utd’s goalkeeper situation, with two top talents targeted, but with a big-name Championship star now ruled out.
POLL: What should Man Utd do with Antony next?