One of Manchester United’s recent sales has confirmed that he received a mega contract from Bayern Munich just before he left Old Trafford.
Manchester United brought in major funds late in the summer transfer window as Rúben Amorim trimmed his squad.
Alejandro Garnacho’s £40 million move to Chelsea currently stands as the club’s biggest sale, though it may be overtaken if Rasmus Højlund completes a permanent switch to Napoli.
The Danish forward has joined Antonio Conte’s side on a season-long loan for £5 million, with an obligation to buy for £38 million if they qualify for the Champions League.
Antony departed for Real Betis in a £21.7 million deal that also includes 50% of any future resale. Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, joined Barcelona on loan, with the Catalan club holding an option to sign him permanently for around £30 million next summer.
Jadon Sancho also left on loan, joining Aston Villa for the season. Villa paid an undisclosed fee and agreed to cover 80-100% of his salary depending on performance-related clauses.
Antony rejected mega Bayern offer
While United may feel positive that they’ve collected up to £150 million in saved wages and potential transfer fees this summer, the manner in which it was achieved will have irritated the decision makers at Old Trafford.
It took until the final few days of the window for the club to secure their first sale, with Garnacho’s move to Chelsea being their fourth-highest-ever sale. Further, Antony, Højlund, and Sancho all moved on on deadline day.
Speaking to Cope, Antony has now revealed that before his eventual return to Betis, he had an offer from Bayern Munich with a salary package that was worth double what he agreed to with Betis, but he rejected it.
“I spoke with Bayern, I don’t know if it was €7 million, but I said I had Betis’s word and that it was 95% certain and that I would respect my word. I feel comfortable making this decision because I’m very happy here. More than five teams called me,” he said.
“Today will mark my life; it was very emotional, and I’ve never experienced that before,” Antony continued.
“My family is very happy; it’s very hard to be away from them, and it’s been very hard being alone in the hotel for more than 40 days. My wife was waiting in Seville, and I told her my first choice was Betis.
“I was very moved seeing the affection of the Betis fans; I couldn’t get out of the car, so I ran out. It was a very nice party.”
United getting rid of two of their biggest mistakes
With Antony now permanently off the books at United three seasons after they signed him for £86 million from Ajax in 2022, the club will be glad to see the back of what was one of their biggest transfer mistakes in recent history.
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The same will also be said for Sancho. The English winger joined United in 2021 for a £73 million fee after a stunning few seasons at Borussia Dortmund, with Sancho being touted as one of the best young wingers in the world at the time.
However, after failing to adjust to life at a club the size of United, the 25-year-old fell out with former boss Erik ten Hag, and has since headed out on three successive loan moves to Dortmund, Chelsea, and now Aston Villa.
United were hoping to sell Sancho for around £20-25 million this summer, but have had to settle for a loan move instead. Although they may choose to let Sancho leave for free in the summer, getting rid of both wingers on deadline day signals a major shift at the club.
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