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Manchester United are looking to sell quite a few big-name stars to raise capital for Ruben Amorim to reinvest to improve the squad.
Players who are out on loan, like Antony, Marcus Rashford, and Tyrell Malacia, are expected to be the first to depart.
The Brazilian got on the scoresheet yet again on Sunday, and he now has seven goals and four assists from 20 appearances in all competitions.
His stock is at an all-time high, which is why INEOS are looking to offload him for as much as €40 million with Arsenal emerging as shock suitors recently.
Antony in demand
Betis are also desperate to keep their talisman for longer and have even proposed another loan deal which United are unlikely to entertain. The Spanish side are in no position to splurge so much on a single player.
Spanish media (via F365) have now reported that Atletico Madrid are ready to swoop in for the former Ajax ace and have submitted an opening offer of €40 million for the 25-year-old.
“The 40 million euro offer from the Red and Whites, presented in the last few hours, has been welcomed by Manchester United, who are willing to part with the player for a sum that allows them to recoup part of the initial investment made when they signed him from Ajax.
“The deal, in financial terms, is very close to being finalized, and talks are expected to progress rapidly in the coming weeks.”
Atletico submit bid
Atletico’s bid comes after they have reportedly been “monitoring the Brazilian player’s progress for weeks” with manager Diego Simeone “convinced that Antony can provide the speed and directness his team needs to make a competitive leap forward in both LaLiga and the Champions League”.
United had spent a whopping €95 million to sign him from Ajax in 2022 on the insistence of former manager Erik ten Hag, and safe to say the move did not pay off.
The Brazil international managed a meagre 12 goals and five assists in two-and-a-half seasons in England and the freedom and lack of pressure has allowed him to excel at Betis.
Antony had blamed off-field problems for his poor displays but the truth is he was not good enough for the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
Hopefully, his future can be decided soon and the sum can be reinvested wisely this time around. Maybe Luis Campos could help with that with the Portuguese in talks to join United as their new sporting director.
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