Antony has seemingly aimed a subtle dig at former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag following a claim about his six-month loan move to Real Betis.
Antony, 25, endured a tough spell at Manchester United following his 2022 arrival, with his confidence appearing to dip earlier this season.
In response, Rúben Amorim opted to send the Brazilian winger out on loan, with Real Betis snapping him up for the remainder of the campaign.
The move has worked out well for everyone involved. Antony has rediscovered his confidence, Betis are climbing the La Liga table, and United are watching his market value steadily rise.
With four goals and four assists in his first 11 appearances for the Spanish side, Antony would have been keen to maintain that momentum after the international break.
Although he didn’t get on the scoresheet or register an assist in Sunday evening’s clash with Sevilla, the United loanee still played a key role in Betis’ 2-1 win — a result that pushes them seven points clear of eighth place in the league.
Antony aims subtle Ten Hag dig
When United chose to sign Antony for an £85 million fee in 2022, one reason the club chose to fork out such a hefty fee was because the player himself was actively pushing for the move.
Antony joined United from Ajax during the same summer Lisandro Martínez and former manager Erik ten Hag entered Old Trafford, with the player going on strike at the Dutch club as he felt the best decision he could make in his career was to follow Ten Hag to his new club.
However, in a fresh interview with DAZN, Antony has revealed he has changed his mind. Despite initially wanting to join Ten Hag, with the Dutchman gone having failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford, Antony has now explained he feels the best decision he has made is leaving the club his former boss brought him to.
“I am very happy … I found myself, I needed to find myself, I needed to be happy, I needed my family to be happy too. Every day that goes by, I see that it’s the best decision I’ve made,” Antony told DAZN.
“I am enjoying the city, the club, every day. [Seville] reminds me a lot of things from Brazil – the sun, the food, everything. The people are also very warm. I’m very happy, and that’s important for us as Brazilians.”
How much will United sell Antony for this summer?
Antony is expected to be sold by United this summer, but with Betis not having a buy option or obligation in the loan, his future may lie elsewhere.
Manchester United would need to sell Antony for around £34 million this summer to avoid making a loss on his sale due to his amortisation value. According to Spanish reports, United are expected to demand roughly that amount for the winger.
At the start of the 2024/25 season, Antony’s value had dropped as low as £16 million. However, his impressive form on loan at Real Betis has significantly boosted his market value, with United said to be pleased with his resurgence.
The report adds that Betis will “study” United’s asking price carefully as the season nears its end, though a £34 million deal would mark a club-record transfer for the Spanish side.
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