Antony close to United exit as offers arrive from Brazil and Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

Manchester United winger Antony is drawing closer to an exit from Old Trafford with multiple clubs outside of Europe tabling proposals for the Brazilian – but his preferred destination this summer remains clear, according to reports.

Interest from Saudi Arabia and Brazil

There is considerable interest in Antony from the Middle East with a report relayed The Peoples Person revealing two Saudi Pro League sides were making advances for the 25-year-old winger.

This was then follow up by Antony’s agent, Junior Pedroso, reportedly confirming his client was “open” to a switch to Saudi Arabia if a suitable offer arrived.

French broadcaster Foot Mercato now reveals Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr have made an undisclosed offer to United for Antony after agreeing a blockbuster deal to sign Chelsea forward Joao Felix.

UOL Esporte, a Brazilian sports outlet, reports the Red Devils have responded to his interest by demanding £50 million to part with their wantaway winger, indicating Al-Nassr’s offer fell short of this valution.

But Antony is also subject to interest from Brazil, according to a different Brazilian publication, Antenados no Futebol. Both Sao Paulo (Antony’s former club) and Botafogo identified the winger as a target with the hope of a return to his homeland proving an attractive proposition.

However, Antony has rebuffed these advances, revealing to these clubs he has “no plans to return to Brazilian football at this time,” the report states.

Antony’s Preferred Destination

English journalist Shaun Connolly contends Antony’s “preference” for a move this summer is “well documented”: he wants to return to Real Betis, the Spanish club he enjoyed a superb loan spell at in the second half of last season.

In 26 appearances for Los Verdiblancos, Antony scored nine goals and provided five assists, immediately becoming an integral part of Manuel Pelligrini’s starting eleven following his switch in the January transfer window.

He helped propel his adopted side to Europa League qualification with a sixth-place finish in La Liga and the final of the Europa Conference league – the first European final in Betis’ 118-year history.

But Betis are unable to match United’s demands for Antony to convert the move into a permanent transfer, instead pushing for another loan. United have zero interest in this arrangement as they seek to buttress their transfer budget this summer.

Tweet: “Antony’s preference is well documented – he wants to return to Betis. However, his star in Spain has attracted the PIF’s gaze, and United are eager to recoup as much of the overpayment shelled out to Ajax. An inability for Betis to compete financially is significant.”

Connolly confirms Antony’s impressive performances in Seville have “attracted the PIF’s gaze” – the ruling body of the Saudi Pro League – with United keen to cash in on a player with no future under Ruben Amorim.

It is a World Cup year, however, a crucial consideration for any player with aspirations of representing their country at the tournament in America next summer. And Real Betis provided a platform for Antony to win back his place in the Brazil national team after a near two-year absence from the Seleção.

A move to Saudi Arabia would have the opposite effect with the decrease in quality and intensity of the league a negative in the eyes of any international manager.

From Antony’s perspective, Real Betis is his preferred destination; from United’s, it is undoubtedly a big-money move to the Middle East. It will be interesting to see how this stand-off develops, particularly if Al-Nassr present an eye-watering proposal to the player to convince him his future should lie in Riyadh.

Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images

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