Manchester United have failed to secure a £13million payment after Real Betis decided against accepting an offer for Antony, their former player.
The Brazilian attacker left Old Trafford on a permanent basis last summer to rejoin the club he had previously spent time on loan with, with the transfer worth €25million (£21.4m). The terms of that agreement included a stipulation that United would receive 50 per cent of any future sale profits.
During his inaugural campaign with Betis, the 24-year-old contributed 14 goals and 10 assists across 46 appearances in all competitions. His performances helped the Spanish side secure fifth position in La Liga and qualification for the Champions League, with the forward reportedly attracting attention.
According to reports in Tuesday’s edition of ABC, relayed by Sport Witness, Betis turned down a €50m bid from a wealthy club operating outside the Premier League. Sources suggest the club’s valuation of Antony and the existing arrangement with United influenced their decision to reject the proposal, despite it representing what would have been a historic fee for the Andalusian outfit.
Betis also believed they would have struggled to find a suitable replacement, having only been set to receive a fraction of the substantial transfer sum proposed.
As a consequence of that rejection, United have forfeited the opportunity to receive £13m, which could have been allocated toward new signings or considered additional funds recovered from the £81m outlay made to Ajax in 2022.
United have adopted a considerably more cautious approach to transfer expenditure since that costly transaction, investing just under £300m to acquire six players who have strengthened the senior squad.
That investment appears poised to surpass £300m this week, with United close to finalising the signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton and completing their midfield overhaul following earlier acquisitions of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
The club is also pursuing options at left-back, with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall identified as a primary target but considered out of reach. Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas and Club Brugge’s Joaquin Seys have emerged as potential alternatives.
Versatile midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly has been mentioned in connection with a move, yet the impending arrival of Baleba appears to have ended those speculations, given the Arsenal player’s apparent preference for a central role.
Outgoing transfers are expected to feature prominently in United’s plans, with Serie A clubs showing interest in Joshua Zirkzee. Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, is expected to remain at Old Trafford.