Manchester United agree double January deal as latest loan move confirmed | OneFootball

Red Devils sanctioning two exits as rumours continue over Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho

Manchester United have sanctioned the loan exit of Ethan Wheatley as Antony prepares to complete his own move to Real Betis.

The 19-year-old will now look to impress with a sustained run in senior football at runaway League Two leaders Walsall, who are currently well on track for a first return to the third tier since 2019 with a 12-point lead at the summit and a 15-point buffer to the play-off pack.

Mat Sadler’s side are on a club-record winning streak of nine consecutive league games that stretches back to November after beating MK Dons 4-2 last weekend, with a swift debut potentially looming for their latest signing in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against Bradford at Valley Parade. He will also hope to be involved on Tuesday night when Walsall travel to Fleetwood.

“It is my first loan so I am very excited to get going,” Wheatley told the Saddlers’ official website. “The club is currently top of the league so I am coming into a winning environment and I am looking forward to that and hopefully we can kick on for the rest of the season and I can help the team to do good things.

“I had interest from other places but they didn’t have as many games left in the season and a big thing for me is earning game time and trying to play as much as possible in the men's game and hopefully I can do that and stamp my mark and impress.

Head coach Sadler said: “I have known Ethan for some time and he is a player that I have admired for some time as well.

“He is very quick, he’s a big lad and he wants to score goals so he is someone that I am really looking forward to working with on his first loan and I am looking forward to being part of his development.

“He is exactly our type of player, he’s an incredible athlete and he’s the type of player that we like working with and developing.

“We have had to remain patient for this one, we have had to wait to get him in and I am delighted that he is here.

“I want to thank everyone at Manchester United for allowing us to be part of the development of Ethan and I am looking forward to seeing him for the remainder of the season with us here.”

Wheatley’s United loan exit is expected to be promptly followed by that of much-maligned Brazilian winger Antony, who arrived in Seville on Friday to complete a move to LaLiga side Real Betis until the end of the season.

“I’m so happy, I’m ready,” the former Ajax star is quoted as saying by Fabrizio Romano after being pictured in Spain.

The loan deal for Antony - who was an unused substitute for United in their last-gasp Europa League win over Rangers on Thursday night - is not believed to include any option or obligation for a permanent summer transfer, meaning he will return to his parent club at the end of the campaign.