It was claimed on Friday evening that Manchester United had ‘accepted a bid’ from Real Betis for Antony and that the winger was set to return to Spain for a medical, but that deal now looks to be in tatters.
Antony enjoyed a productive spell on loan with Betis in the second half of last season, rebuilding his reputation through nine goals and five assists in 26 appearances for the La Liga side.
He’s since returned to United but was one of five players exiled by United boss Ruben Amorim at the start of pre-season and forced to train away from the first-team squad at Carrington while the club looked for a transfer solution.
Saudi Pro League clubs have approached United and there have been links with alternative options in Serie A, while Erik ten Hag was rumoured to be interested in bringing his Red Devils flop to Bayer Leverkusen.
But Antony had his heart set on a return to Betis, and after weeks of negotiations it was claimed everything had been agreed for his £25m move.
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg wrote on X: “Manchester United and Real Betis are now in agreement on a permanent deal for #Antony as revealed via @skysports_sheth. He can travel for the medical, but an agreement between Antony and Betis is still pending.”
Interestingly, Fabrizio Romano claimed their had been no ‘green light’ while a number of other reporters confirmed Plettenberg’s claim of a done deal.
Romano wrote: “No medical, no travel imminent for Antony at this stage as Real Betis and Manchester United are still negotiating. Details of permanent move, 50% sell-on clause, salary, exit conditions being discussed. Betis on it with their best efforts but still waiting for green light.”
And an official statement from Betis soon followed, confirming not only that no agreement had been reached but that they have ‘withdrawn the offer’ for the 25-year-old.
The statement read: ‘There is no agreement for Antony and we have withdrawn the offer. We can’t afford the fee and the amounts that Manchester United must instead pay the player before the transfer’.
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The suggestion is that the stumbling block relates to a payment to Antony around his outstanding wages on a United contract that runs to 2027.
Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo has ‘doubled down’ in insisting he wants to leave United despite Amorim telling a press conference on Friday that he wants the academy graduate to remain at the club.
Mainoo informed the club on Thursday that he wants to leave on loan this season to play football in a World Cup year, but United turned down the request before Amorim addressed the situation on Friday.
He told his press conference: “I want Kobbie to stay. He needs to fight for his place, and we need Kobbie. So that is not going to change.
“The rest I don’t know how it’s going to finish. I understand that the players that are not playing in this moment are disappointed, but everyone has the same opportunity to play. You have to fight during the week.”
But the Daily Mail claim a ‘defiant Mainoo remains determined to leave in the final days of the window and ‘will re-iterate his desire’ over the weekend.
