Antony: Real Betis star drops hint over Man United player’s future | OneFootball

Manchester United are struggling to offload several players who have no future at Old Trafford but are still tied to the club.

The so-called ‘bomb squad’ of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia were told early on by head coach Ruben Amorim that they needed to look for new clubs.

So far only Rashford has succeeded, securing a loan move to Barcelona. Garnacho has reportedly agreed terms with Chelsea with an approach to buy the player expected later in the window as they try to grind the price down.

Reborn at Betis

Antony joined Real Betis on loan in the winter transfer window and was a revelation in Seville where he hit the form of his career and became a cult hero, scoring nine goals in 26 appearances.

The winger, who was an absolute disappointment for United, did enough to bump up his price tag and even trigger calls to be reintegrated into the first team.

There is no chance of that happening, with the Brazilian issued with an ultimatum from the Red Devils that if he doesn’t leave this month he will sit in the stands until January.

Only one thing on his mind

This brutal stance was taken to try and bring the saga over the 25-year-old’s future to an end. Antony has been refusing to listen to offers from any club other than Real Betis, who are desperate to bring him back to the Villamarin Stadium.

The winger has rebuffed interest from the Saudi Pro League, teams from his home country Brazil and even Portuguese giants Benfica.

Betis can’t afford to buy the player outright, with United valuing him around £33m and determined to make a permanent sale, leaving the two clubs and the player in a standoff.

United are growing impatient while the La Liga side are believed to be only able to take the player on another loan, and all the while the clock is ticking until the end of the window.

View from Betis

As per Football Espana, Betis centre-back Natan has indicated the feelings in Seville regarding Antony, and it will do little to reassure the Red Devils.

Natan told El Chiringuito “Hopefully he can come back and be with us for another year or two. Yes, he’s waiting and we’re all waiting. I think it’s not just me, all the Betis. I hope he comes. Let’s hope, I have hope.”

There are under three weeks to go until the end of the transfer window, so a resolution needs to be found quickly and there is only so much waiting Antony and Betis can do.

If none of the three parties compromise, it’s hard to see a deal being done so it’s not out of the question that the Brazilian winger spends the rest of 2025 on the sidelines – an unsatisfactory outcome for everyone involved.

Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images

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