Antony is finally leaving Manchester United on a permanent basis.
Manchester United have agreed to let Antony leave the club on a permanent basis, but fans have identified a huge issue.
The Brazilian winger spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan with Spanish club Real Betis.
Ruben Amorim placed him in Manchester United’s ‘bomb squad’ upon his return, despite his impressive performance in Spain.
Antony did not appear in United’s pre-season games and was not named to the matchday squad for any of their first three games of the season.
With less than 72 hours left in the transfer window, they have finally reached an agreement on the Brazilian’s future.
According to Sky Sports writer Dharmesh Sheth, United have accepted Betis’ permanent offer for Antony.
The winger will now travel to Betis to seal the transfer and must accept personal terms with Manuel Pellegrini’s team.
The Spanish club had ruled out a bid for the 25-year-old earlier in the transfer window, but conversations have resumed in recent days.
However, supporters have identified more than one serious flaw with the agreement.
The Red Devils will undoubtedly lose money on the guaranteed £81.3 million they paid Ajax to recruit Antony in 2023, while Erik ten Hag was in charge.
That sum might have increased to £85.5 million with add-ons, though it is unclear whether all criteria were met.
According to The Athletic, United have agreed to sell Antony for £21.6 million, representing a loss of about £60 million on their initial investment.
During his six-month spell at Betis, he scored nine goals and assisted five times and expressed satisfaction with his decision to transfer to Spain.
However, the same outlet reports that, with personal terms yet to be agreed, Betis wants United to reach an agreement with Antony that would cover a reported €4 million (around £3.5 million) wage shortfall if he signs a contract with the Spanish club.
The Brazilian signed a four-year contract with United in 2023, which still has two years to run.
It is said that United’s position is that they are ‘hoping that the two sides and the player can meet in the middle to allow the deal to complete’ before the transfer deadline.
Regardless, it appears to be another United transfer scenario that Amorim and the club’s supporters would prefer to avoid as the deadline approaches.
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