Antony breaks Man Utd CURSE

Tom Weber

Updated: 8 Feb 2025 15:18 GMT
3 min read

Antony, Real Betis — © IMAGO/FootballTransfers

Manchester United loanee Antony has enjoyed a brilliant start to life at Real Betis.

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The Brazilian left the Red Devils in January after it became clear that he had no future at Old Trafford. Antony showed himself to be one of the club's worst-ever transfers and needed a change of scenery.

Man Utd had shelled out an eye-watering €95 million on the 24-year-old in 2022 on the direct orders of then-manager Erik ten Hag, but Antony failed to live up to his inflated price tag during his two-and-a-half seasons in Manchester.

The winger's fortunes didn't improve under Ruben Amorim and his inevitable departure came in the winter window when Real Betis returned for him following a failed Deadline Day approach in the summer.

The LaLiga side took him on loan and agreed to shoulder the lion's share of Antony's hefty wages as he was their preferred attacking target and so far, it seems that their persistence paid off.

Antony scores his first league goal since April

Antony made his debut for the Seville outfit last Sunday and made an instant impact. Although he did not officially record a goal contribution on his first outing, he put in a Man of the Match display in a 2-2 draw with Athletic Club.

He maintained his upward-trending form this weekend against Celta Vigo as he opened the scoring for Betis after just 10 minutes. Incredibly, it was his first league goal since April 2024 and only his second since April 2023.

His goal ultimately wasn't enough as Betis succumbed to a 3-2 defeat but it is becoming clear that the tricky winger's game is much more suited to Spanish football.

Antony has more freedom to express himself and do what he did so well during his successful spell at Ajax. He can take people and utilise space much more than in the Premier League.

His stint at Real Betis has started off in very promising fashion. If he can keep up this form, he will be able to revive his career and increase his value with a view to a potential sale in the summer, similar to Jadon Sancho last season. A return to the fold at Man Utd appears unlikely.