Atletico Madrid have made an enquiry over a potential move for Antony with the Manchester United winger currently impressing in La Liga on loan at Real Betis, according to a report.
Antony, 25, brought an end, if only temporarily, to his miserable time in Manchester which saw the Theatre of Dreams morph into an unrelenting nightmare for the player following his £81 million move from Ajax in 2022.
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The Brazilian winger had fallen down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim with the United head coach neither trusting him in one of the wing-back roles, nor as a number ten in his 3-4-2-1 system, and the club were open to his sale.
Real Betis quickly emerged as a frontrunner to sign Antony with widespread acceptance amongst the Old Trafford executive branch that a loan move was the only viable exit in the January transfer window.
There were offers from elsewhere across Europe, including Greece and Turkey, but Antony wanted to remain in one of the continent’s ‘Big Leagues’ and Real Betis offered the prospect of European football in the form of the Conference League.
And it has proven an astute decision – the type the 25-year-old was consistently unable to produce on the pitch in England – with Antony scoring six goals and providing four assists in 19 games for his adopted side.
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The Brazilian scored a superb long-range effort last night in the Conference League win over Fiorentina – putting the ball past former teammate David De Gea in the process – to give Los Verdiblancos a 2-1 advantage heading into the second leg next week.
If Real Betis were to progress to the final of the competition, they are very likely to meet Chelsea after the London club put Swedish side Djurgårdens to the sword 4-1 in the first leg of the other side of the draw – with Jadon Sancho scoring once for the Blues in the emphatic win.
This would set up a bizarre ‘Battle of the United Loanees’ as Antony faces off against Sancho, with both 25-year-old winger’s having spent this season away from Old Trafford on loan.
Real Betis are extremely keen to keep Antony in Spain beyond the summer with the Liga side actively working on agreeing a new deal, whether it is a transfer or another loan.
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United are equally keen to sell Antony but must receive a fee of at least £32.4 million to avoid incurring a negative FFP hit from his sale, and prefer a permanent exit over a loan.
It is unlikely Real Betis’ budget will stretch this far, however, despite both the club and the player expressing happiness with their new found arrangement so far.
But, as Spanish football outlet El Chiringuito TV reveals, another option could emerge for Antony to remain in Spain this summer and beyond, with Liga powerhouse Atletico Madrid expressing an interest in signing the winger.
The report states Diego Simeone’s side have “honed in on [the] Brazilian winger” as a transfer target this summer with an enquiry already lodged with United – “Atletico have already asked about him”.
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The Red Devils are said to be asking for “€40 million to €50 million” (£34-42.5m) – a more affordable price for one Spain’s ‘Big Three’.
Antony has impressed since joining Real Betis, demonstrating a rate of goals and assists which proved impossible for him in the more physical Premier League. But the 25-year-old’s tireless work-rate and relentless pressing and counter-pressing were always present, even in his darkest days in Manchester.
And it’s this industry off the ball, matched by his renewed quality on it, which will make him such an attractive proposition to a manager like Simeone, who coaches Atleti to run like dogs every week.
Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images
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