A long-rumoured transfer Manchester United have been working on for much of the summer has been ‘halted’, with a report explaining why the deal is off and what happens next.
Man Utd entered the summer window in the knowledge exits would be just as important as arrivals. There are no shortage of stars United are desperate to offload, though Marcus Rashford aside, the club have struggled to clear the deck.
Mercifully, Alejandro Garnacho is now on the cusp of joining Chelsea for £40m. Rasmus Hojlund’s move to Napoli (loan with conditional obligation to buy) is also nearing the finish line.
However, United are still trying to negotiate exits for Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho and Antony. Regarding the latter, the focus has been on a return to Real Betis all summer.
Antony shone during a six-month loan spell with the Spanish side last term. The Brazilian is on board with re-joining Betis but the demands Man Utd have made are beyond Betis from a financial perspective.
Despite extensive talks, the latest from Spanish outlet ABC states Antony to Real Betis is now off.
Negotiations between the two clubs have been ‘halted’ and Real Betis are now ‘considering other options to reinforce the right wing.’
Why Antony to Real Betis has stalled
Explaining why the move has run aground, ABC pointed to the financials involved.
Man Utd have reportedly been seeking €40m (£34.6m) in either a permanent sale, or as part of an obligation/conditional obligation to buy following another loan spell.
That €40m figure is reportedly well beyond Betis’ means and that has been known from the very start of negotiations.
Betis seemingly hoped Man Utd would lower their demands as the end of the window neared, though that has not happened.
The report did float the possibility of talks re-opening after a pause. But with such little time remaining in the Spanish window and the clubs reportedly far apart on the figures, such a venture may be fruitless.
ABC detailed the situation when stating: ‘The growing optimism of recent hours in these negotiations has come to a halt, and now the parties are giving themselves a break after leaving the table and breaking off talks.
‘After Alarcón and Fajardo’s trip to Manchester, the positions seemed to be moving closer, but Betis insisted on emphasising that the deal was “very difficult,” despite the fact that concrete figures were being published in England for an agreement that didn’t exist.
‘After learning of [Man Utd’s] willingness to return, Betis assessed the situation and examined its financial limits to be able to put together a convincing proposal, while also securing the support of the player, who was firm in his desire to return.
‘However, this offer has not been accepted by United, who are demanding an outright sale without conditions for a sum close to 40 million euros, taking advantage of the player’s increased value generated by Betis since the loan deal in January.
‘This breakdown in negotiations is common in this type of transaction, especially at the end of the transfer window, but now the ball is in United’s court with a player who takes up a large salary and doesn’t want to play for them.
‘They have threatened to storm the stands if he doesn’t accept the transfer offers that are already falling apart, such as that of Fenerbahce, who is exiting this race after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
‘It now remains to be seen what the reaction of both clubs will be between now and Monday night to see if a deal is rectified, a deal Betis always speaks cautiously about and which is proving to be as complex as the level of a top player like Antony.
‘As reported by ABC, the Verdiblancos had recently submitted their final proposal for Antony’s signing. Following United’s refusal to facilitate a new loan that didn’t guarantee a significant financial return, Betis’s management proposed a new scenario after thoroughly studying the feasibility of the deal.
‘This fit within Betis’s financial parameters and also meeting LaLiga’s demands was essential before putting the proposal on the table to close Antony’s deal, a condition that was essential for the English club.
‘Thus, Betis had proposed a financial engineering operation, with multiple aspects affecting both clubs, which would share a future transfer, and also the player, who would have an increasing salary in his new contract at Heliópolis, while maintaining certain amounts in the event of a future sale.
‘An offer on which Heliopolis’ legal services have worked tirelessly to try to convince United, which has always wanted to recover a large part of the outstanding amortization for the Brazilian.
‘Betis didn’t want to leave the resolution of the Antony saga to the last minute , given the need to seek alternatives that would require United to refuse to accept the conditions proposed by Heliópolis.
‘The sporting directors are considering other options to reinforce the right wing as well as other positions they’ve been working on in recent days, but the outlay involved in buying Antony would affect the rest of the deals.’
Of course, Antony not re-joining Betis wouldn’t mean the winger is locked into remaining a Man Utd player this season.
The Turkish and Saudi Arabian deadlines in particular stay open far longer than many of their European counterparts.
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