Manchester United are staring at a fresh twist in the Antony saga, with their attempts to offload the winger hitting a major roadblock.
According to BBC Sport reporter Simon Stone, Real Betis have withdrawn their offer to sign Antony from Man United.
This comes barely an hour after reports suggested that United had accepted an offer from Betis for a permanent transfer.
The Athletic revealed that the two clubs had even settled on a package worth £21.6 million, plus an additional £2.7m in potential bonuses.
United were also supposed to receive 50 per cent of the profit Betis make on a future transfer.
The Premier League outfit had given Antony permission to travel and reach an agreement on personal terms with the Spanish club.
However, Betis have now withdrawn the offer, as they cannot afford the transfer fee and the salary Antony is expected to receive.
It is believed that the deal is still not completely off but Antony would need to slash his salary to drag Betis back to the negotiating table.
Another possibility could be a severance package from United to bridge the gap, compensating the 25-year-old for lost wages.
The winger currently earns £6 million per season and still has two years left on his Old Trafford deal.
Antony is part of the infamous five-member ‘bomb squad’, frozen out by head coach Ruben Amorim with no way back.
During his time at Old Trafford, he made 96 appearances but managed only 12 goals and five assists.
He played only 135 minutes in the Premier League last campaign before securing a loan switch to Betis in January.
He rediscovered his form, bagging 14 goal contributions in 26 games for the La Liga side.
Betis’ financial struggles have always cast doubt on a permanent deal, despite their admiration for the Brazilian.
The next few hours will be crucial in determining whether Antony completes the transfer he has been waiting for all summer, or remains at United.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com