Real Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini has broken his silence on Antony’s future at the Spanish club after the Manchester United loanee received a clear warning.
After a challenging spell at Manchester United following his 2022 arrival, it became evident that Antony needed a fresh start, especially as he struggled for game time earlier this season.
In light of this, Ruben Amorim opted to send the Brazilian winger out on loan, with Real Betis securing his services for the remainder of the campaign.
The move has worked out well for all parties. Antony has regained his form, Betis have been climbing the La Liga table, and United are seeing a boost in his market value.
With five goals and four assists in 17 appearances for the Spanish side, Antony has been displaying a much-improved level of performance in recent months.
Pellegrini breaks silence on Antony future
Despite his impressive performance levels, Antony had been on a six-game run without a goal until Betis’ clash agains Girona in La Liga on Monday evening.
That changed when the Brazilian netted a great right-footed volley in the first-half of a 3-1 win to help keep Betis’ hopes of Champions League qualification alive.
The Seville-based side are currently sixth in the Spanish league with just one point separating them from Villarreal in fifth-place, although they do have a game-in-hand on Antony and his team.
Due to his excellent form, Antony’s future has been a regular talking point and Betis clearly want to keep him next season, although it remains unclear if they have the cash to match his £30 million price tag.
Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini has finally had his say on the situation, with the manager stating that he would be “very happy” to see Antony remain at the club beyond his loan spell.
“We’ll see what happens next season,” the ex-Manchester City manager told reporters on Monday night.
“We have six games left and the Conference semi-final. I see Antony being very involved, and we’d all be very happy for him to stay, but we have to focus on the present.”
Antony receives United warning
Antony is enjoying his football in Spain but the 25-year-old has not ruled out a return to Old Trafford when speaking to the media about his future.
However, ex-United coach Rene Meulensteen has warned the player how he would “fall back into the same rut” if he was to try and come back to the English club next season.
The 61-year-old believes that the best solution for all parties is for Antony to join Betis on a permanent transfer considering the success he has had there so far.
“Antony has no future at Manchester United,” the ex-United coach, who worked under Sir Alex Ferguson, told AOS. “If I was him, I’d stay at Real Betis, without a doubt. He’s never really lived up to the expectations or the price tag at United, but he’s found his feet in Spain.
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“He seems to be a lot happier playing football and in life generally at Betis – which is the most important thing. If he returned to Manchester, he’d fall straight back into the rut he was in before he left, which wouldn’t be good for anybody.
“I can’t see him returning under any circumstance; it’s probably best for all parties that he joins Betis on a permanent deal.”
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