Real Betis enter “advanced negotiations” to sign Antony on permanent deal | OneFootball

Real Betis have “advanced negotiations” with Manchester United to sign Antony permanently when the Brazilian winger’s loan deal comes to an end this summer.

Antony, 25, swapped Manchester for Seville to join the Liga side in the January window after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim.

It brought an end, if only temporarily, to a miserable time for the former Ajax man who failed to replicate the form for the Dutch giant which led the Red Devils to sign him in the first place.

But where Antony saw the Theatre of Dreams morph into the House of Nightmares, the Brazilian has found a sanctuary with Real Betis.

The winger has been of the best performers in Spain since arriving on loan, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 14 appearances for his adopted side. His general play has also been strong, continuing to demonstrate the excellent work-rate and defensive output which remained a positive during his time at Old Trafford.

Real Betis are keen for Antony’s stay at the Villamarin Stadium to extend beyond this season with chief executive Ramon Alarcon revealing the club is “cautiously optimistic” a new deal can be agreed.

United are willing to sanction a permanent exit for their winger with widespread acceptance at Old Trafford that the winger’s improved form in Spain is unlikely to be replicated within the more physically demanding Premier League.

However, the Red Devils would need to sell Antony for a minimum of around £32.3 million this summer in order to avoid incurring a negative FFP hit, due to the outstanding amount from his initial £80.75 million signing from Ajax three years ago.

United agreed an a deal worth £80.75 million with a further £4.25 million in add-ons. It’s undisclosed what was required for this additional instalment to be activated but, given it was likely performance based, Antony’s woeful form since arriving in Manchester is unlikely to have triggered it.

As such, with two years remaining on the Brazilian’s five-year deal, his remaining book value should be around the £32.3 million mark. If United were to sell this summer for a figure less than this fee, it would actually produce a negative effect on the club’s finances.

Whether Real Betis would be willing to agree a deal at this price point remains to be seen, though it feels unlikely given Los Verderones‘ usual transfer budget.

However, this has not deterred the Liga side with Spanish journalist Uriel Lugt revealing Betis have entered “advanced negotiations” with their English counterparts over a permanent move for Antony.

Translated Tweet: “Real Betis has advanced negotiations to buy Antony. His loan from Manchester United ends at the end of the season and the Spanish club wants to acquire him permanently.”

While the nature of the deal Real Betis are exploring is not confirmed, a loan move with an obligation to buy clause could represent the best compromise for both teams.

It would enable United to avoid a negative FFP hit this summer while getting Antony’s salary off the wage bill for another season. And from next summer, the Reds would only have to sell the winger for £16.2 million to produce a positive financial boost – a far more palatable figure for Real Betis to match.

A loan fee could even be included to sweeten the deal from United’s perspective with the price for an obligation to buy reflecting this. A £5 million loan fee with a £20 million purchase clause, as an example, would represent fair market value for Antony while helping to balance the books at Old Trafford and the Villamarin Stadium in the complicated world of FFP.

Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images

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