The saga for Manchester United winger Antony has now taken a huge twist, with there being a new club in pole position for his signature.
After a troubled few seasons for Manchester United, Antony sought new horizons and went to Spain on a six-month loan, which saw him star for Real Betis.
The Brazilian winger found his feet out in Spain, where he scored nine and assisted five as his side made it to the UEFA Conference League final.
Since finishing his loan, the reborn 25-year-old has been subject to a host of rumours, with many teams now interested in his signature, although it was suspected that he would head back to Betis permanently.
This, however, may not be the case anymore, with a new club entering the race for Ruben Amorim’s want-away man.
Atletico Madrid favourites for Antony
With United seeking a fee in excess of £30 million, Betis may struggle to afford Antony due to their limited financial resources.
As reported by The i Paper, via Goal, Betis’ La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid have emerged as favourites to sign the Brazilian.
The former Ajax man was also being linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen, which would see him reunite with his former boss Erik ten Hag, but the Dutch manager has shut down all rumours, claiming that his side doesn’t need Antony.
Betis are still in the race for Antony despite not being able to afford his services at the moment, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side currently attempting to raise funds.
United’s want-away winger dilemma
Not only Antony, but many other United outcasts are struggling with finding new clubs this summer. Antony is one of four Red Devil wingers who are finding it difficult to seek new pastures.
Having just sent Marcus Rashford on loan to Barcelona, United are left with Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Alejandro Garnacho to part ways with, in order to fund new incomings.
Amorim has already seen replacements come in for his wingers, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo set to take on the wide 10 roles.
It’s set to be a very interesting few weeks for United in this transfer market, but they will be hopeful that La Liga can provide them with another favour as they look to rebuild their struggling attack.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.