Manchester United’s summer business continues to gather momentum under Ruben Amorim, but exits are becoming just as important as arrivals.
After wrapping up the signing of Bryan Mbeumo, the focus has shifted to balancing the squad and offloading players who no longer fit into the new manager’s long-term plans.
The Red Devils are still actively looking to sell or loan out fringe players, particularly those on high wages who haven’t delivered consistently.
Meanwhile, La Liga sides have become increasingly opportunistic in swooping for United players, sensing that the club may be more flexible as the transfer deadline approaches.
And with the World Cup around the corner, several players are eager for more minutes to force their way into national squads – even if that means temporarily moving away from Old Trafford.
One of those players is Antony, and Real Betis are going all in.
The Spanish outfit has made the Brazilian winger their top transfer priority, according to Diario de Sevilla, with the club president Angel Haro and sporting director Manu Fajardo confirming their interest publicly this week.
“Betis has to be rigorous in its financial control .
“We’ll make efforts when a player is important, like Antony, but always within a strict financial framework,” Angel Haro commented on the situation on Tuesday.
“From a financial perspective, it has to fit within our parameters.
A purchase depends on United’s price. A loan is more feasible than a buyout, given what Manchester are asking.
“We’re assuming, and Betis is making efforts, that it could happen, but if it doesn’t, I don’t want it to be seen as a failure.
“It’s difficult to bring in a player of this quality and such a high financial reward,” he added.
As it seems, a permanent deal appears to be off the table for now, with Betis unable to meet United’s asking price and instead pushing for a loan agreement.
Talks have revealed that Betis cannot currently offer Antony a long-term deal due to financial constraints, but the club believes a one-year stint in Spain could benefit all parties – especially with the winger keen to relaunch his career and push for World Cup selection.
United, for their part, are unwilling to subsidise Antony’s wages, meaning the 25-year-old would have to take a significant pay cut to make the move work.
Sources close to the deal remain optimistic, with Betis confident that Antony will reject other clubs in favour of the La Liga side as long as United remain open to a temporary solution.
United are expected to revisit the situation in the coming days, especially if Antony makes it clear that he prefers a move to Spain over any other destination.
