Man Utd Star's Desperate Transfer Plea Leaves Antony in 'Very Difficult' Position
Antony may have always harbored ambitions of returning to Real Betis, but his Brazilian compatriot Matheus Cunha attempted to persuade him to remain at Manchester United during the summer.
Although the Red Devils brought in numerous new players during the summer transfer period, including Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško, Antony was practicing apart from the squad, residing in hotel accommodation for 40 days while awaiting Manchester United to finalize an agreement with Real Betis for his permanent departure.
Throughout the prolonged waiting phase, Antony remembers a discussion with Cunha, who joined the 20-time English title winners for a £62.5 million ($84.1 million) transfer fee in June.
"Matheus Cunha hoped I would remain there alongside him, but the circumstances were already extremely challenging," Antony revealed in an interview with AS. "I hold great fondness for him."
The 25-year-old proceeded to mention Cunha as one of the companions who maintained his morale during the difficult period, which Antony emphasizes is now "behind us."
Antony: There Was Limited Communication with Ruben Amorim
Despite having to wait until the closing moments of transfer deadline day, Antony ultimately achieved his objective and signed with Real Betis in a transaction valued at a reported €25 million (£21.7 million, $29.1 million). Man Utd suffered a substantial financial loss on the deal; considering they acquired the Brazilian for an initial €95 million (£82.3 million, $111 million) fee in 2022.
Nevertheless, both sides finally reached an agreement to part ways following Antony's troubled stint in a red jersey. The former Ajax star managed only 12 goals across 92 matches for the Red Devils before completing the latter portion of the 2024–25 campaign in Seville, recording 14 goal contributions in 26 games under Manuel Pellegrini.
Throughout this period, Ruben Amorim maintained his distance from Antony, which the Brazil international anticipated.
"I had minimal dialogue with Ruben Amorim; there was limited interaction," Antony shared with AS. "His choice to permit me to train in isolation was expected. However, I had to accept it.
"Currently I'm doing well. I maintained my fitness by training diligently despite being separated. After three months, I completed 90 minutes, and that demonstrates the results of my preparation," he concluded.
Antony has experienced a modest beginning in La Liga this season, with his two goal contributions in 2025–26 occurring during Real Betis' 2–2 Europa League match against Nottingham Forest. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old continues to be an important component of Pellegrini's offensive strategy going forward.