Antony believes Manchester United thought he had the talent to warrant the £86.3 million deal they reached with Ajax to secure his signature in 2022.
The 25-year-old winger flopped at Manchester United and has since left on loan to join Real Betis on a six-month temporary deal.
It seems like the weight of the world left Antony’s shoulders after leaving Old Trafford.
The Brazil international resurrected his career immediately with four goals and four assists in his first 11 Betis appearances.
Antony’s form will likely lead to the Spanish club trying to sign him permanently, which depends on whether they have enough money to meet United’s demands.
Only time will tell if other clubs will be interested in Antony after watching him impress in La Liga. Take Mason Greenwood as an example after spending a year at Getafe before completing a permanent switch from United to Marseille.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Antony grateful for Manchester United opportunity
Now that Antony is enjoying football again, the Brazilian has opened up on his time at Old Trafford, admitting that United felt he had something about him to pay such a big fee.
The £86.3m agreement between United and Ajax put even more pressure on Antony and it appeared to weigh him down during his time at the club.
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Antony has been repeatedly reminded about his transfer fee, but he can finally move on and let his feet do the talking, which is something he couldn’t achieve in United’s first-team.
“If they pay that kind of money for you, it’s because you have talent and quality,” Antony told DAZN, as quoted by Goal. “Wherever I go, I’ll always speak highly of United.
“I’m very grateful to the club and to Erik ten Hag for what we experienced together, for the titles, and for everything I’ve learned. I had difficult times there, but also very good ones.
“I think it prepared me to be here today, enjoying myself. My mind is here, and I’m very happy.”
Antony enjoying Spanish culture at Real Betis
There will be lots of transfer speculation surrounding Antony in the summer and he has made it no secret that he’s enjoying life in Spain.
Antony explains there are similarities to Brazil, such as the incredible weather, so he had an easy adaptation period compared to Manchester.
He added: “I found myself, I needed to find myself and be happy. I needed my family to be happy too. Every day that goes by I see that it was the best decision I could have made.
“I’m enjoying the city, the club and everything. It reminds me a lot of Brazil because of the sun, the food, the people are also very happy. All of that is important for someone like me who is used to it.”
Former goalkeeper Ben Foster issued a warning to United that they may need to pay over £12m in compensation if he is to leave this summer.
Antony will be the centre of attention in this Sunday’s derby between Betis and Sevilla in La Liga.