One Manchester United outcast, from the “Bomb Squad” is ready to reject his latest offer to leave Old Trafford, as he is holding out for one club in particular
Manchester United’s “Bomb Squad” was made up of five senior players who needed to leave the club before the end of the summer transfer window, as all were left out of Rúben Amorim’s pre-season squad, but only one has left United.
Marcus Rashford left Old Trafford to join Barcelona on loan for the 2025/26 season, looking to re-establish himself after a difficult time under Erik ten Hag and Amorim after a successful six-month loan at Aston Villa.
While Rashford has left United for this season, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho remain at the club, with just over one week to go before United take on Arsenal in their first Premier League match of the season.
Garnacho appears to be the closest to leaving United after he agreed personal terms with Chelsea, as revealed by Fabrizio Romano, but the two clubs will have to agree on a fee sooner rather than later if he isn’t to be re-included in the first-team squad.
Unlike Garnacho, Sancho has had official bids submitted, but United’s £25 million valuation appears to have led Juventus to consider alternative options, although they could still return for the former Borussia Dortmund wide player.
Antony set to turn down Benfica
Antony spent the second half of last season on loan at Real Betis in La Liga, where the Brazilian found his form that led United to spend £80 million, but he is yet to leave Old Trafford permanently despite having interest from several countries.
The former Ajax winger has already turned down offers from Saudi Arabia, and now looks set to turn down an approach from Benfica, as per Estadio Deportivo, despite the club only enquiring about him, he hasn’t even received an official offer.
Antony is holding out for one club in particular, Real Betis. He wants to return to the place that helped him reignite his career after such a troubled period at Old Trafford, but the Spanish club are yet to put an offer in for the Brazilian.
Previous reports have stated that Betis won’t put in an offer until the final days of the transfer window, and will only offer United a loan deal. They believe that the Red Devils will be forced into accepting the deal as Antony doesn’t want to go anywhere else.
Baleba move on hold due to lack of sales
In the last few days, Carlos Baleba has become a clear target for United, as he could solve the midfield problems that Amorim has experienced when playing Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte.
However, Brighton and Hove Albion are seeking close to £100 million for the all-action central midfielder, making a deal very difficult for United to complete, but not impossible if player sales raise enough money.
Mason Greenwood has been linked with a move to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, in a deal that could raise United over £40 million. If Garnacho moves to Chelsea, United could demand an upfront fee of nearly £40 million, with several performance-based add-ons if the Argentine performs well.
This leaves just £20 million between the raised funds and Baleba’s potential fee; if Antony, Malacia, and Sancho leave on a permanent deal, they could afford Baleba this summer. However, selling all three is highly unlikely, with less than a month remaining before the window closes.
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