Ruben Amorim looks on after Man United's friendly against Everton (Photo by AJ Reynolds/Getty Images)
Manchester United winger Antony is continuing to attract transfer interest this summer as the club look to get the Brazilian off their books.
Sources with close links to the agents industry have provided CaughtOffside with the latest information on Antony’s situation as a summer exit proves slightly complicated.
Although Man Utd would ideally like to sell Antony permanently, it’s proven a challenge so far, with the 25-year-old turning down approaches from Saudi Pro League clubs, and from Brazilian side Botafogo.
Benfica have now emerged as new suitors for Antony, but are only pursuing a loan deal.
Sources add that Atletico Madrid, Brighton and RB Leipzig are three other clubs monitoring Antony’s situation.
Will Manchester United be able to offload Antony?
Antony has been a major flop at Old Trafford, so it perhaps makes sense that there aren’t exactly long lists of clubs ready to pay up to sign him permanently.
Antony in action for Man United
Antony in action for Man United (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The former Ajax man did quite well on loan at Real Betis last season, so he clearly hasn’t lost all his ability, but a permanent deal would still be seen as a bit of a gamble.
Benfica could represent United’s best bet for offloading Antony for now, with multiple sources confirming that the Portuguese giants have already held two rounds of talks, though without much progress so far.
“Benfica are exploring the possibility of a loan for Antony,” one source said. “There have been two contacts so far, but United only want to release the player with a transfer fee.”
Antony is up there with Man Utd’s worst signings
There have been a lot of major duds in the transfer market for MUFC since the retirement of legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Huge amounts have been spent on big-name signings to try to get the club back to its best, but the likes of Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Harry Maguire, Romelu Lukaku, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund all ended up being disappointing.
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Antony is up there with the most disappointing of the lot, and it’s clear now that the club will struggle to get him off their books.
United fans will be desperately hoping their luck improves with the signings of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha this summer, while Benjamin Sesko is also on his way to Manchester and looks an exciting addition for the present and future.