Real Betis chiefs held meetings with their counterparts from Manchester United on Tuesday to discuss a potential summer deal for Antony.
Manchester United opted to send Antony out on loan during the January transfer window last season after his role under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford had significantly reduced.
The Brazilian winger joined Spanish side Real Betis, where he has rediscovered his form in impressive fashion. In 26 appearances, the 25-year-old notched nine goals and five assists.
He also made a big impact in the Europa Conference League, contributing four goals and three assists en route to the final—although the Spaniards came out second-best against Chelsea in that clash.
Antony’s revival in Spain came as a boost for United, who are now looking to secure a permanent transfer in the upcoming summer window, while Betis are eager to keep him at the club somehow.
What Betis chiefs told United in Antony meetings
It has been communicated previously that Betis are probably not going to have the cash to afford Antony on a permanent transfer, alongside paying his full wage.
But with some potential sales from the La Liga outfit, some reports suggested that they were now more open to the idea of taking the United winger permanently.
Reports from ABC Sevilla have now revealed that Betis are making real efforts to work out a deal with United, with club officials having travelled to Manchester for talks on Tuesday.
It was explained that they want to try and convince United of sanctioning another loan, and have communicated to the Reds that his value could rise even higher with another loan.
Afterwards, the report stated that United want at least £33 million for the player while Betis would only potentially be willing to offer a loan with a buy option or obligation.
Antony loan is pointless for United
If United cannot sort out a permanent deal for Antony, there is not much hope for the likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, who are on far higher wages than the Brazilian.
Other than Alejandro Garnacho, Antony is probably the most sellable asset on the transfer list at Old Trafford and Betis’ efforts for any sort of loan should be laughed at.
Antony’s value is not going much higher than it already is, especially with his contract dwindling down, and another stop-gap move is pointless for those at United.
Fortunately, it seems like the winger will have other suitors but a potential sticking point is that he clearly wants to return to Seville and could cause a fuss if that is shut down.
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