Antony explains why he flopped at Man Utd

Tom Weber

Updated: 19 Apr 2025 09:11 CDT
4 min read

Manchester United flop Antony believes that off-field issues led to his struggles at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian has gone down in Premier League history as one of the worst purchases ever after joining Man Utd in 2022 for an eye-watering €95 million.

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STATS

Antony

M, AM (R)

Real Betis

Antony

M, AM (R)

Real Betis

16

Games
4

Goals
4

Assists

His first season at Old Trafford still showed some signs of promise, but the 25-year-old could not manage to build on that in subsequent campaigns. On the contrary, Antony appeared to regress in his second term.

His struggles on the pitch coincided with allegations of domestic abuse levelled at him by a former girlfriend and a subsequent investigation that lasted until last August.

However, by the time Antony was able to fully focus on football again, even his main backer, then-coach Erik ten Hag, had lost faith in him, and he was shipped out on loan to Real Betis in January after failing to win over new boss Ruben Amorim.

Antony on Man Utd struggles

The Brazilian is currently enjoying a career renaissance in Seville, although he hasn't been able to contribute directly to a goal in over a month. Still, Antony remains an undisputed starter for Real Betis, and the LaLiga side are desperate to extend his stay beyond the season.

In a new interview with ESPN, Antony has now opened up on his struggles at Man Utd and insists that his lack of impact was down to his personal issues.

"I think that, apart from my football life, my personal life got in the way a lot, because of the things I went through, the moments I lived there," he said. "Like it or not, it's affected me a lot. So, of course, I know the potential I have.

"It's not for nothing that I went to a World Cup, it's not for nothing that I was sold to United for a lot of money, and I know my worth.

"People look at the moment, but they don't look at the bigger picture, what happens to bring things about. So, as I said, my feeling at United was that I had good moments, bad moments too, but of course I could have done more, I could have done better."

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