Antony’s agent reveals his future at Man United remains an “open story” | OneFootball

Antony’s agent Junior Pedroso has revealed there may be “more chapters” in his career with Manchester United despite the early success the winger has enjoyed at Real Betis.

Antony, 25, joined the Spanish side on loan until the end of the season at the end of the January transfer window after firmly falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim.

Real Betis have agreed to cover 84% of the Brazilian’s £105,000-a-week wage packet, equating to a saving of around £1.5 million from United’s balance sheet for this campaign.

However, as confirmed by Pedroso, there is “no buy option clause in the contract”. This means Antony “will be a Manchester United player from July,” the agent reveals to Fabrizio Romano.

Tweet: “EXCL — Antony’s agent Pedroso: “Saudi and PL clubs wanted him but Real Betis was the best solution, he’s so happy there. There’s NO buy option and he respects Amorim a lot… his future at Man United remains an open story”.

Antony “respects Amorim a lot” but was receptive to the idea of a loan away from the harsh spotlight of the Theatre of Dreams, which had become more of a Playhouse of Nightmares for the 25-year-old since his £84 million switch from Ajax in 2022.

Pedroso states, “We understood in January that his moment at the club was not good, so Manchester United also understood that leaving on loan was the best way for Antony to recover his best form.”

“When we started thinking about and planning Antony’s temporary transfer, we knew it would be a short-term project. Our concern would be for him and his family to adapt quickly and to find a style of play that would enhance his characteristics.”

This approach quickly led Antony and his representatives to settle on Manuel Pellgrini’s Real Betis side. The slower, more technical focus in La Liga was seen as ideal for Antony’s skillset, Perdoso explains.

“Yes, Spanish football greatly strengthens Antony’s main technical and physical characteristics. He has more freedom to use all his skills to the advantage of efficiency in attack. That’s why we said yes, and Manchester United approved it too.

The agent reveals there was significant interest from the Middle East with the Saudi Pro League having shown more focus on signing younger European talent in the winter window. There was also approaches made by “clubs in England” but it was Real Betis who emerged as the clear frontrunner.

“Everyone’s opinion was unanimous. After that, we mapped out the clubs he could play for and we came up with Betis as the ideal destination,” Perdoso states.

“I can tell you that clubs from England also wanted Antony, he had the chance to stay in the Premier League, but we preferred Real Betis. I can also reveal that Saudi Pro League clubs approached us over potential moves. It was another option but Spain was the best possible for the player.”

However, Antony’s agent refuses to rule out a return to the Red Devils with the possibility of rekindling his career at Old Trafford, given the loan move is only temporary.

“I believe that football is very dynamic. There are no long-term plans to be made. There may still be a few more chapters in his story with Manchester United, or there may not be. This will depend on many factors involving decisions by the club and him in the near future.”

In a report relayed by The Peoples Person, Real Betis’ chief executive Ramon Alarcon revealed the Spanish club would look to “retain Antony’s services come the summer” given his brilliant form since arriving in Seville.

The Brazilian has scored twice in three games while picking up a MOTM award in his debut for Los Verdiblancos.

A brilliantly long-range effort by Antony this week helped Real Betis to a dominant 3-0 win over Gent in the first leg of the Europa Conference League playoffs. After the win, Antony has attributed this upturn in form to his improved state of mind: “When you are happy, everything comes naturally.”

However, it’s a level of happiness the winger is unlikely to find within the rigours of English football where the 25-year-old’s skillset is just not conducive to success, despite his agent describing Old Trafford as an “open book” with “a few more chapters” potentially on the horizon.

The Premier League is too physical and too fast-paced for the diminutive Brazilian to thrive; Antony and Junior Pedroso must recognise this come the summer when a decision on a crucial next step for his career will be needed.

Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images

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