Ruben Amorim made no secret the group of players he wanted out of his hair ahead of the new Premier League season.
Manchester United managed to see off the majority of their unwanted clan. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho left on loan. Alejandro Garnacho was sold to Chelsea and Antony departed for Real Betis, the La Liga club where he found his groove during a temporary switch last term.
Twenty-five-year-old Antony joined United for a reported £82 million in 2022 but was not part of United’s plans once Amorim replaced the Brazilian’s former Ajax manager, Erik ten Hag, in the Old Trafford dugout.
Antony was part of Man United’s infamous bomb squad
By the time Antony headed off to Seville to join Betis on loan in January, his stock was at an all-time low on and off the pitch.
Antony was a shrewd loan for Betis. He scored five goals in 17 appearances in La Liga and scored four times as Los Verdiblancos went all the way to the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League, falling in the final to Chelsea.
The winger was a deadline day signing for the Andalusian club and has since claimed there was another serious option on the table in the form of the Bundesliga champions.
“I spoke with Bayern Munich,” Antony told El Partidazo via the Mirror. “I don't know if it was [a] €7 million [offer], but I said I had Betis's word and that it was 95% certain and that I would respect my word.
“I feel comfortable making this decision because I'm very happy here. More than five teams called me.”
There’s no doubt Antony is indeed happy. In a tearful press conference after his permanent switch to LaLiga, he made the extraordinary claim that Seville is more beautiful than Manchester.
The former Ajax star has collected 16 senior international caps since making his debut in 2021 but hasn’t represented the Selecao since March 2023. After a lengthy absence, he was drafted in by new manager Carlo Ancelotti in June.
He was an unused substitute for Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay and will be desperate to continue his progress in Spain with a view to making Ancelotti’s squad for the finals next summer.
Antony is not involved in the current international squad and could return to action when head coach Manuel Pellegrini and Real Betis visit Levante on Sunday, September 14 looking for their first win in three matches.
