Manchester United are expecting to see Antony exit the club this summer, with his quality loan spell likely to help with a sale.
In January, Ineos made the decision to send Antony to Spain until the end of this season with hopes that he would spark life back into his career and this is exactly what the Brazilian has managed to do.
Since arriving in La Liga from Manchester United in January, Antony has become an absolute favourite for Real Betis.
The fans and his teammates have taken to him so well, which makes it no shock that Antony is keen on remaining over in Seville.
Betis have benefitted from Antony playing at a level far beyond anything he showed at United, scoring four and assisting four in 12 games for the La Liga outfit.
Now, United’s asking price for Antony has been revealed.
Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images
How much Manchester United want to sell Antony for this summer
Antony has been a major success story in the loan market for United and is proof that this method can work. Prior to his time with Betis, United wouldn’t have received much, if any, interest in Antony, but now Spanish clubs are thought to be interested.
Due to this, the value of Antony will be rising and the club have outlined how much they want to receive for him.
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According to The i Paper, United have now set an asking price of £40 million for interested parties in Antony.
This is quite a substantial figure, although it is also reported that United are confident they can receive this amount, despite Betis likely unable to afford it, prefering to loan Antony again next season.
Atletico Madrid are thought to have an interest in signing Antony, with the £40m fee something that Diego Simeone’s side could feasibly offer, especially if the hot form continues.
If United are to receive £40m for Antony, it would be a full circle moment, as this was the fee Ajax originally quoted for the Brazilian talent, as Mail Online reported.
So if Atletico are willing to pay it, then Betis will also have to cough up this amount in order to stand a chance of keeping the player they have praised so heavily since January.
Club captain Isco suggested Betis should do crowdfunding to sign Antony, indicating that he doesn’t believe that a transfer will be within their budget.
However, one thing which could help with this is if Betis qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2005/06 season.
Betis are sixth currently and need six points to enter the top four in La Liga which could bag them £31.8m, a figure which could grow further if Antony can lead them to a higher finish.
Betis are the league’s form team, winning six games in a row, so if they are to ever qualify for the Champions League again, it looks likely to be this season.