A general view inside of Man United's Old TraffordA general view inside of Man United's Old Trafford
A general view inside of Man United's Old Trafford | Getty Images
This Man United winger could be on the list of summer departures following his recent comments.
Manchester United’s Antony may have dropped a hint towards where his future lies ahead of what is shaping up to be a busy transfer window at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are expected to make a raft of significant changes at the club, including some big departures.
In January, the club made the decision to send Antony out on loan until the end of the season, with his role growing increasingly unclear. The Brazilian played just 135 minutes of Premier League football prior to his move to Real Betis at the start of the year, and his only scored goal for United throughout the season was against Barnsley in a 7-0 Carabao Cup win.
Since his move to Spain, Antony has rediscovered his form and is once again enjoying regular football. The winger has started every match he’s been eligible so far and has contributed four goals and four assists across La Liga and the Conference League.
Antony drops hint on future away from Man United
Antony is currently enjoying his football with Betis but he is due to return to Manchester at the end of the season, as there is no option or obligation to buy clause in his contract. However, despite there being no guaranteed move for him once the summer rolls around, his latest comments have heavily suggested he would be happy to remain at Betis, if the opportunity was to present itself.
Speaking to DAZN (via Estadio Deportivo), Antony opened up on his move to Seville and how he had no bad feelings towards United or former manager Erik ten Hag. He also addressed the mammoth £82 million the Red Devils initially agreed on to bring him in from Ajax in 2022.
“If they pay that kind of money for you, it’s because you have talent and quality. 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.
“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.”
Will Antony leave Man United?
With United looking to make some significant changes this summer, Antony could be part of the restructure Jim Ratcliffe is looking to oversee. Despite there not being a clause to make Antony’s loan deal permanent, Real Betis are not moving out a potential full-time move for him at the end of the season. In February, club chief Ramon Alarcon refused to rule out the idea of adding Antony to the roster on a permanent basis.
“I think so,” Alarcon replied when asked about a potential permanent signing on Cadena Ser’s Radio Sevilla. “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.
“There is very good chemistry with Manchester [United] and with the player. It is a possibility that he will continue next season, why not?”
In other news,Ruben Amorim might not be able to ignore 24-goalManchester United ace any longer
Related topics:Premier LeagueErik ten HagJim Ratcliffe
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.