Manchester United fans must be in sheer shock every time they open X these days, with Antony scoring world-class strike after world-class strike every match day during his loan for Real Betis.
The Brazilian forward added another goal to his impressive catalogue during his loan in Spain in Sunday’s win over Espanyol, in a goal United fans would have loved to see at Old Trafford during his time at the club.
Antony is not expected to return to Manchester United when his loan ends this summer, with Real Betis hoping to try and take him on loan when the season ends. The Spanish side, however, may face competition from within their own league, with Atletico Madrid also reportedly admiring the forward.
United don’t usually have successful loans and haven’t done in the last few years, but this one has gone better than they could have ever imagined. The Reds need to recoup some of the £85m price tag they paid for the player in 2022, and they could get around £40m if they negotiate well this summer.
His goal on Sunday left the opposition players stunned, with Relevo even going as far as to call the goal, which went right into the top corner, a stratospheric strike.
Joan Garcia praises Antony’s goal
Joan Garcia was speaking after his side’s defeat to Real Betis on Sunday, with the loss coming courtesy of that unbelievable Antony goal, which happened to be a 90th-minute winner. The move was something of a trademark for the forward in Brazil but didn’t happen as much as he would have liked in Manchester.
Garcia said the following when speaking about the goal, “It’s a shame because we had the game very much in our favour. In the second half, we were more behind than we would have liked, and with the quality of this team, this happens.
“The first was avoidable because they couldn’t get inside the box dribbling, but the second… a stroke of genius from Antony. We’re leaving in a bad way because even with a draw, the result wasn’t bad.”
It’s a huge change in the conversations being had around Antony. The player has gone from being heavily criticised by pundits and even fans at United to being praised and adored by Betis fans and even being spoken about positively by opposition players.
Antony has always been a good player
Many may be shocked at Antony’s performances, but it was clear his confidence levels at Manchester United had depleted considerably. The Brazilian was a shadow of himself during his final months, but he seems to have found that spark again.
Environment is everything in football, and Betis is an environment he can thrive in. Better players than Antony have failed at United, and it can’t be a coincidence players and managers walk into the club with huge reputations and leave with little to no credit.
The Brazilian feels wanted at Betis in ways he wasn’t in Manchester, and he is not being plagued by a price he never asked for while playing his football either.
It’s nice to finally see a player doing well on loan from the Reds, and hopefully it ends up working for both parties this summer when the time comes to negotiate a full sale for the forward.
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