Manchester United has agreed to sell Antony Matheus dos Santos to Real Betis for €25m with add-on clauses that could raise the fee to €28m while Man Utd will retain a 50% sell-on clause. There had been speculations of his return to the Spanish side. However, the transfer was confirmed by transfer news expert, Fabrizio Romano, though Real Betis will pay €22m initially with €3m to come as potential add-ons. While on loan at Villamarin, the winger scored 5 goals and gave 2 assists from 17 appearances.
Antony will officially leave Man Utd on Deadline Day
Sequel to Alejandro’s move to Chelsea, Antony will be the second player to leave for a transfer fee this summer. Meanwhile, the Red Devils have strikingly loaned Marcus to Barcelona.
Brazilian, Antony broke down in tears at his official presentation with Betis describing how badly he was treated at Manchester United.
Tough Manchester spell
Antony’s spell at Manchester United lasted for 96 appearances across all competitions, a run in which he scored 12 goals. His time at Old Trafford was marked by high transfer fee (€100m, making him one of the most expensive players ever in Man Utd), inconsistent performances, a Carabao cup and an FA Cup win. On joining the Red Devils, he scored in his first three League appearances and was a fan favorite. He soon started to struggle with maintaining a consistent form and lost his place in the starting lineup, especially under new manager. Reuben Amorim. He then joined Real Betis on loan and enjoyed a wonderful time providing five assists in 26 games while also aiding their UEFA Conference League run up to the final.
Antony revealed the personal toll the whole saga took on him. Describing his personal difficulty and emotional damage suffered from staying at Old Trafford he said, “what happened in Manchester, only I know how difficult it was… There was a moment when I thought about stopping playing. I no loger felt that desire to play football because of everything I was going through, because of all the accusations I had remained silent for so long. I even told my brother I couldn’t take it anymore.”
With Real Betis currently sitting at 8 position on the Spanish league table, the fans are optimistic that the forward will be a great addition to their team going forward as they look on to having a more successful run this season.
