Real Betis are reportedly hoping to keep Manchester United loanee Antony at the club next season.
The Brazil international accepted a January offer from the La Liga side to join up with Manuel Pellegrini’s squad for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.
Antony has struggled for game time since the start of the season with his first-team role reduced further by the November arrival of new head coach Ruben Amorim.
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Amorim is unconvinced by his ability to adapt to a 3-4-3 tactical system at Old Trafford with his numbers in Manchester failing to ignite much excitement for Red Devils fans.
Five Premier League goals and three assists from his first two seasons combined, and zero in both metrics in 2024/25, has pushed the 25-year-old out of the reckoning.
There is no purchase clause in his deal at Real Betis, but he is shining in Andalucia, with two goals and two assists already in La Liga.
Foto: Getty Images
Antony told a recent interview with Relevo that he ‘needed’ the move away from United and Real Betis are hoping to utilise that momentum.
With his current contract running until 2027 back in Manchester, Amorim is aiming to recoup as much of the £82m ($103m) United paid Ajax for him back in 2022.
That is where the key issue lies for Real Betis, with reports from Spanish outlet Fichajes.net claiming they are exploring multiple options to secure a deal.
United are setting their opening asking price at £41m ($51.5m) – which Real Betis cannot afford – alongside Antony’s £11.5m ($14.5m) annual salary.
Real Betis will offer another loan package to United, this time for full 2025/26 season, but with a reduced mandatory purchase clause that falls within their budget for 2026.
It is unclear if United will accept those terms, as Antony’s positive form in Spain has alerted other club’s over his potential availability, with Amorim expected to offload a host of underperforming stars in the coming months.
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