Manchester United keep struggling to finalise the future of Antony
The 2024/25 season was a painful one for Manchester United. The team finished 15th in the Premier League, lost to Tottenham in the Europa League final, and will now not be a part of any European competition in the 2025/26 season. Ruben Amorim took over as manager mid-season, but the results have not been as expected.
This summer, the club have added high-profile players such as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, as well as signing youngster Diogo Leon. In addition, the team have tried to fill the big striker shortage by bringing in Benjamin Sesko, after Rasmus Hojlund failed last season.
Antony’s expectations and reality
Now, we talk about one of the players who has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford. When Antony was signed three years ago for £82m, it was expected that he would turn the tables on the wing at Old Trafford. The club thought he would make a difference in big matches and deliver consistent performances.
Manchester United keep struggling to finalise the future of Antony.
Manchester United are slashing their asking price for Antony
However, the reality turned out to be completely different. Injuries, lack of confidence and lack of consistency never allowed his performance to reach its peak. The 25-year-old’s goal and assist figures in the United jersey were disappointing, and on many occasions, he slowed down the team’s offensive plans. In such a situation, the trust of the fans gradually broke down.
Latest report on Antony
According to the report from GMS, Manchester United are now ready to sell Antony for just £30m. This is a huge drop from the original transfer fee that we paid. Antony wants to return to Real Betis, where he performed well on loan under Manuel Pellegrini in the second half of the previous season on loan. Betis are ready to take him on loan again, but do not have enough funds for a permanent deal.
Antony’s £12m annual salary is also putting off potential buyers. Meanwhile, he is included in Old Trafford’s ‘bomb squad’, which also includes Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia and Alejandro Garnacho, as the ones that United want to sell. Marcus Rashford has moved to Barcelona, but the rest are still looking for a new club. Manchester United continue to struggle to sell the Brazilian.
With Antony’s value dropping so quickly, it’s hard to find a firm solution with just three weeks left. Betis have no money to pay that price that we want, and other clubs don’t seem willing to pick up his wages. If the transfer window closes and Antony stays at the club, the situation will get even more awkward.
The management could put him on the sidelines, putting both his game and career on hold. In such a scenario, the club’s only options would be to try and sell him again in January or take a pay cut and settle for a loan deal. However, one thing is clear—Antony and United’s relationship is not on the mend, and they will have to part ways soon, but don’t feel like a permanent deal will be possible this summer.