Antony has revealed that he is “very happy” at Real Betis, as Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim and Real Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini have had their say on the Brazil international winger.
Much was expected of Antony when he joined Man Utd from Ajax in the summer of 2022 for an initial transfer of £81.3million. Erik ten Hag was then in charge of the Red Devils, and having worked with the winger at Ajax, the Dutch manager was a key figure in the move.
Antony, though, had a hugely disappointing spell at Man Utd. In 96 appearances for the Red Devils, the winger scored just 12 goals and gave only five assists.
While there were some nice tricks and flicks, Antony failed to affect the game in the final third.
Man Utd head coach Amorim decided to offload Antony in the January transfer window, and the winger joined Real Betis on loan until the end of the season.
The 25-year-old has flourished at Betis, scoring four goals and giving four assists in 12 matches in all competitions for the Spanish club already.
Betis manager Pellegrini has been hugely impressed with Antony and has outlined how the winger has completely transformed since his loan move from Man Utd.
Pellegrini told El Larguero on Friday: “Antony is a very special case. When players are paid €100million (£84m, $108m), it’s no coincidence. He must have shown important things to reach that figure. I’m not going to analyse Antony’s previous time at Manchester United.
“[Antony] came here convinced that he had to mature. He has more than enough potential. More than demonstrating his ability, I think he’s proving to be a practical player.
“Doing two or three important things in a match shows what a good player he is rather than trying to do strange things with the ball.
“He’s more focused on finishing plays well, making good crosses, looking for shots on goal, and also being very involved in the team’s collective functioning.”
Antony himself has dropped a blue clue on his future, openly revealing that he is very happy at Betis.
Mundo Deportivo has quoted the winger as saying: “I’m very happy here, but it’s still too early to decide.
“I enjoy every day in the Betis shirt. I identify a lot with the fans because of the feeling; we Brazilians are like that too.”
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Ruben Amorim noncommittal over Antony
Man Utd boss Amorim has also given his take on Antony.
However, the Portuguese manager has been non-committal in regard to the winger’s future.
Goal quotes Amorim as saying: “Antony to return? I’m planning the future, but I don’t want to talk about the future at this moment. I just want to focus on the games.”
Given that Amorim decided in the middle of the season that he did not need Antony, it is hard to see the Man Utd boss reintegrate him into his team for the 2025-26 campaign.
According to The i Paper, Man Utd are ready to offload Antony for good and believe that they will get £40million for him.
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Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has told Amorim that he wants to join Man Utd in the summer transfer window, according to a report.
However, with Man Utd in a dire situation on the pitch and Arsenal Sporting Director Andrea Berta keen on a deal for Gyokeres, the Red Devils could miss out on the signing of the Sweden international.
Real Madrid have been linked with a move for Bruno Fernandes, but Amorim has made it clear that Man Utd will not sell him.
Amorim said: “It’s not going to happen.”
The Man Utd boss added: “That is the challenge. I want Bruno here. We want to win the Premier League again, we want the best players with us.”
Meanwhile, TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Man United are considering a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.
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