Antony gives verdict on permanent Man Utd exit after Real Betis loan | OneFootball

Antony has admitted he went through a "difficult time" at Manchester United as he left the door open to a permanent transfer to Real Betis in the summer.

The under-fire winger, an £81.3m signing in 2022, was loaned to Betis in January after a drastic fall from favour at United, who are still paying a portion of Antony's wages and hoping to see him rebuild his transfer value away from Old Trafford.

Things got off to a good start for Antony, who was named Player of the Match on his debut, after which the 24-year-old was asked about making a permanent move to Betis in the summer - the loan agreement with United does not include either an option or an obligation to buy.

"If I am to stay longer, I would have to talk to the president and everything," Antony told local media. "And for now, I want to play and score goals and give assists.

"I have to help the team, later we can talk about that."

Antony has already caught the eye / Fran Santiago/GettyImages

Antony went on to reiterate the fact he had chosen to join Betis over other clubs as he felt they could offer him the best platform to move on from his struggles at United.

"Yes, I had proposals, but when Betis appeared, I felt a certainty in my heart that it was here," Antony continued.

"I hope to achieve many goals and 1,000 things. I feel very calm, confident, I'm very happy. I feel incredible, now I have to work every day to be at my best and play for the team.

"I had a difficult time, but we have to respect the process. My idea is to play everything and contribute with goals and assists, enjoy every day and help the team, the coach and everyone."