Manchester United are moving with purpose in the final few weeks of the transfer window and one of their exiled players, Antony, has finally broken their patience.
Despite having five players on the exiled list, Man Utd have only managed to shift one, with Marcus Rashford leaving for Barcelona.
The insistence of these players to join only a specific club is holding the club’s window hostage, and after granting Rashford his move for the savings in wages, they are in no mood to bow down to Antony.
With Alejandro Garnacho at least getting a permanent move, Antony is the only one whose potential loan to Betis would leave United in a no-win situation. He’s been given a brutal ultimatum by United to avoid it.
Antony of Manchester United during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 19, 2024
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Man Utd give Antony ultimatum
Wage savings were a big factor for Rashford’s exit, and Chelsea will pay a transfer fee for Garnacho. Jadon Sancho is as good as a wasted asset on the books now, and Tyrell Malacia is not getting any interest.
It leaves only Antony as a player who isn’t even on high wages, and yet, is insisting on moving to Real Betis, who keep pleading poverty.
Despite Antony staying professional at Man Utd, that is a deal the club simply cannot sanction, as they have their own targets in mind to reinvest any potential money into.
Betis are not even trying to hide their cheeky transfer plan, with sporting director Manu Fajardo leaving nobody in any doubt as to what they are trying to do.
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He said (via El Correo Web): “Every day that passes allows us to dream of him being here. If Antony is here, it’s because the numbers add up. The most important thing is the club’s sustainability; we can’t do anything crazy.”
With Betis trying to play smart and drag this saga to deadline day in the hopes of catching United out, the club have moved pre-emptively and sent Antony an ultimatum.
As per Spanish outlet ABC, Antony has been told that he needs to accept one of the offers for him in the range of €30-40 million “this week”, or face the prospect of sitting in the stands until the January window.
United don’t want this saga to drag to deadline day, needing clarity over what they can spend right now to be able to finance further deals, like that for Carlos Baleba.
With this season ending with the World Cup next summer, this is the final gamble by United to call the player’s bluff, and also, hopefully, prompt Betis into action.
Man Utd are playing this perfectly
Everybody knows this rebuild under Ruben Amorim won’t take a single season, and it’s pertinent to note that every exiled player is under a contract handed to them by the previous regime.
At some point, United have to take a hard stance on the sales, as they’ve done with incomings, if only to reset the reputation in the market.
Even the transfer window, as it is right now, is not bad by any means, and the team is easily good enough to compete for a European place.
It’s better to execute these threats, even at the cost of no further signings, if that means sending a message to players in the future who engage in such stubbornness.
It’s unfortunate for Antony that he is becoming the example, but his wages, combined with his contract situation, mean he is the transfer United can’t compromise on.