Antony might have always had his sights set on a return to Real Betis, but his fellow countryman Matheus Cunha tried to convince him to stay at Manchester United this summer.
While the Red Devils welcomed a plethora of new signings during the summer transfer window, including Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško, Antony was training separately from the team, living in a hotel for 40 days as he waited for Manchester United to strike a deal with Real Betis for his permanent transfer.
During the extended waiting period, Antony recalls a conversation with Cunha, who joined the 20-time English champions for a £62.5 million ($84.1 million) fee in June.
“Matheus Cunha wanted me to play there with him, but the situation was already very difficult,” Antony said in an interview with AS. “I have a lot of affection for him.”
The 25-year-old went on to name Cunha as one of the friends that kept up his spirits during the trying time, which Antony stresses is now “in the past.”
Antony: There Was Not ‘Much’ Contact with Ruben Amorim
Although he had to wait until the final hours of deadline day, Antony eventually got his wish and joined Real Betis in a deal worth a reported €25 million (£21.7 million, $29.1 million). Man Utd took a big loss on the transfer; after all, they signed the Brazilian for an initial €95 million (£82.3 million, $111 million) fee back in 2022.
Yet both parties finally agreed to go their separate ways after Antony’s nightmare career in a red shirt. The former Ajax standout only managed 12 goals in 92 appearances for the Red Devils before finishing the second half of the 2024–25 season in Seville, tallying 14 goal contributions in 26 appearances under Manuel Pellegrini.
Through it all, Ruben Amorim kept his distance from Antony, something the Brazil international expected.
“I didn’t speak much with Ruben Amorim; there wasn’t much contact,” Antony told AS. “His decision to allow me to train separately was a given. But I had to respect it.
“Today I’m fine. I took care of myself by training well even though I was apart. After three months, I played 90 minutes, and that’s the result of what I was working on,” he finished.
Antony has gotten off to slow start in La Liga this season, with his two goal contributions in 2025–26 coming in Real Betis’ 2–2 Europa League draw with Nottingham Forest. Still, the 25-year-old remains a key piece of Pellegrini’s attack moving forward.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Very Difficult’—Antony Reveals Transfer Plea From Man Utd Star.
