Antony to Real Betis hits snag as the Spanish club withdraw offer having been haggling over a deal for most of the summer.
New twist in Antony move as Betis withdraw offer.
There is uncertainty surrounding Antony’s transfer from Manchester United to Real Betis; according to United insiders, the Old Trafford team accepted the deal, but the Spanish club has now retracted it.
The 25-year-old winger’s cost has not been agreed upon, despite United and Betis negotiating a deal for the majority of the summer.
During the second half of the previous season, Antony scored nine goals during his successful loan stint with the La Liga team, helping Manuel Pellegrini’s team finish sixth and advance to the Uefa Conference League final.
At the beginning of preseason training, United head coach Ruben Amorim banished him and five other players, forcing them to exercise at the club’s Carrington facilities at different times from the main group.
Although there have been connections to other teams, notably several in the Saudi Pro League, Antony has made it apparent that he would have loved to rejoin Betis.
For several days, discussions have been going on in an attempt to end the standoff.
According to several United sources, a proposal had been approved by Friday night, and the conditions of a permanent transfer had been reached to the point where the Brazil winger could travel to Spain to do his physical.
Betis sources questioned this version of events before the club later released a formal statement saying: “Betis has retired its offer. Betis cannot afford a transfer fee, nor the amounts the player is supposed to receive.”
Unverified rumours claim that one of the obstacles is a payment to Antony for his unpaid salaries under a United contract that expires in 2027.
At this point, neither the willingness of Betis to submit a new bid nor the possibility of more negotiations to try to settle the matter are known.
The Spanish transfer window is open until 22:59 BST on Monday, even though the English transfer window ends at 19:00 BST.