Real Betis Offers Manchester United Letdown Antony A Career-Saving Chance

Antony has squandered enough opportunities at Manchester United. And now it seems La Liga side Real Betis is presenting him with another. He can’t afford to miss this one.

12th in the Spanish top tier, Betis is reportedly on the cusp of signing the Brazilian winger on loan from the Red Devils, with only travel, a medical, and the final details to complete. With no buy option included, Antony looks poised to stay in Sevilla until June, with the Premier League club still paying a large chunk of his total wages—currently converting to just under €240,000 ($248,000) per week, according to Spotrac and Capology.

The 24-year-old has misfired since arriving in the Premier League for an initial €95 million ($98 million) in 2022. In 96 games across all competitions, he’s scored 12 goals for United—half of his total at Ajax, where he took part in fewer matches. This season has been particularly rocky for head coach Ruben Amorim’s men, and Antony has been a bit-part player—adding to his status as among the most expensive disappointments in the division’s history.

Antony, a player who likes to entertain with the ball at his feet, is part of a deeper issue at United. Apropos player transfers, the club’s recruitment over the past few seasons has generally been questionable, with the hiring and firing of frustrated coaches doing little for continuity and long-term squad planning.

Individually, Antony has not adjusted to the rigors of English soccer nor thrived under the expectation of a mega club. In his personal life, he’s also faced allegations of abuse—to which he denied wrongdoing in 2023—with no charges brought last year. In an interview with The Athletic in August, it seemed Antony was ready to put his struggles behind him and kick on, but he’s yet to achieve more game time and form in a red jersey.

Will Betis Unlock Antony’s Potential?

La Liga is an opening for Antony to revive a career heading nowhere in Manchester. Before him, out-of-favor Premier League talents have occasionally followed a similar path and enjoyed mixed success. Amid much noise around him, another United talent, Mason Greenwood, was a hit at Getafe. However, for every success, there’s a flop; despite injury setbacks, former teammate Anthony Martial endured a fruitless spell at Sevilla.

Can this signing work? A change of environment can do wonders for an athlete, and there will be less pressure on Antony in southern Spain, with Betis high in stature but not expected to win titles every year. Even so, there will be hopes that Antony can make a difference; Betis is wasteful in front of goal and needs some fresh ideas—especially now that young talent Assane Diao has joined Como in Italy—although Antony often lacks a clinical edge.

Most fascinating will be Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini’s effect on Antony—a talent at risk of losing his way. In a sit-down talk during the 2022/23 campaign, which covered the emotional intelligence and man-management needed to get the best from a squad, Pellegrini—a fiery individual who’s developed a wise, calm façade in a long career—talked about his learnings.

“Players don’t just have problems on the field,” he said. “The most difficult thing for a manager is how you work with a human group: 25 different personalities with whom you must share lots of different experiences. That part of management is as important as what you know about football (soccer).” The key to Antony’s success could be how well Pellegrini understands him and whether his style brings improvement.

As far as Manchester United is concerned, though Antony may return to the fold in the summer, it’s hard to see the player having a sparkling future there. Instead, it will hope he enjoys a mini-renaissance in Andalusia, later selling him and recouping as much money as possible while he remains young. Regardless of where Antony himself ends up, the number 21’s brief is clear—to become a serious performer once and for all, delivering on his earlier promise.