- Many clubs have enquired about Antony
- He only wants to join Real Betis
- Brazilian to reject latest offer from Portugal
Manchester United are having a hard time offloading Antony, who has made it very clear to his camp and the club’s that he want to move to Betis and nowhere else. Benfica have enquired about the winger but are set to face rejection from the 25-year-old, according to Estadio Deportivo. United have received many offers this summer for Antony, ranging from Premier League clubs to those in Saudi Arabia, but the player has rejected them all.
Betis are confident that the winger will not be moving anywhere else and were thus able to take a back seat all summer, which kept their finances intact and their strategy in place. With the transfer window nearing closure, the Spanish club are hopeful that they will be able to strike a loan deal again for the Brazilian, as the Red Devils will have no better option than to send him back on loan to Spain. The Spanish club are so confident of getting the deal done on their terms that they have reserved a non-EU registration spot for Antony.
United reportedly want €40-50 million (£35m-£43m/$46m-$58m) to offload Antony, but no club is currently willing to match that asking price. Plus, Antony’s wages are so high that clubs are hesitant to bring him on board. Even Betis would not be able to match his salary, and this is an issue that Antony will have to resolve himself if he desires to play for Betis. Betis owners, for their part, have made it very clear that no player is bigger than the club’s financial stability and their sustainable project.
Many meetings have taken place between Antony and United’s representatives. Reportedly, the groundwork has been laid, but the player’s camp still needs to convince United to agree to Antony’s terms and accept Betis’ deal. Meanwhile, Betis are also scouting options should a deal for Antony fall through.
