Antony has thrived since leaving Manchester United in January and joining Real Betis on loan
Antony has impressed while on loan at Real Betis
Antony has impressed while on loan at Real Betis(Image: Getty Images)
Former Manchester United head coach Rene Meulensteen has told Antony to remain at Real Betis as he has "no future" at Old Trafford.
Antony, 25, joined Betis on loan in January until the end of the season. United did not include an option to buy in the deal that saw the Brazilian move to Spain.
Before his exit, Antony had fallen down the pecking order at United. He had started just TWICE under new head coach Ruben Amorim following his appointment in November.
It became clear that Antony was not part of Amorim's immediate plans and he instead moved to Betis, where he has since impressed. The former Ajax man has scored four goals and added four assists in 12 matches for the Seville-based club, and appears to be enjoying his time in La Liga.
Despite this, ex-United coach Meulensteen doesn't see a path back for Antony in Manchester and believes he should remain at Betis beyond the end of his loan spell.
Speaking to AOS, Meulensteen said: "Antony has no future at Manchester United. If I was him, I’d stay at Real Betis, without a doubt. He’s never really lived up to the expectations or the price tag at United, but he’s found his feet in Spain. He seems to be a lot happier playing football and in life generally at Betis – which is the most important thing.
"If he returned to Manchester, he’d fall straight back into the rut he was in before he left, which wouldn’t be good for anybody. I can’t see him returning under any circumstance; it’s probably best for all parties that he joins Betis on a permanent deal."
Antony, meanwhile, explained, after helping Betis to a famous 2-1 win over rivals Sevilla, why he has been thriving since his Old Trafford exit. "I feel happier and more content when I found myself, and I found myself here [Real Betis]," said Antony in an interview with DAZN.
"I'm very grateful for everyone's affection, for the players. I'm very happy here, my focus is on Betis, I'm enjoying the city, the club, and everything every day, and I'm very happy.
"The last time I experienced this was in Brazil when I was playing for Sao Paulo. I was talking to my family yesterday and today, and I was in my room, and the fans were incredible at the hotel, at training, and everything, and that makes us want to play even more. I'm very happy with today's performance and that we got the three points."