Manchester United winger Antony is edging closer to an Old Trafford exit, but his £32.5m price tag could be a stumbling block for interested clubs, especially Real Betis, who are reportedly leading the race.
Antony, 24, spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Betis after struggling to impress in Manchester. However, the Brazilian found form at Betis, scoring nine goals and registering five assists in 26 appearances, playing a key role in Betis’ run to the UEFA Conference League final, where they fell to Chelsea.
Despite interest from clubs in Spain and Italy, United’s asking price may be too steep, especially for Betis, who operate under tight financial constraints.
Softfootball has earlier reported Antony’s willingness to accept a 30% wage cut from his current £150,000-per-week salary to make a permanent move to Betis viable. The Spanish club’s annual salary cap stands at €42.1 million, with a weekly wage bill of around €810,000 for a 25-man squad, per AAiscore.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano recently reported interest from the Italian side Como, but sources suggest Betis remains Antony’s preferred destination.
Despite Antony’s improved form, Manchester United have slapped a £32.5 million valuation on the winger, less than a third of the £81.3 million fee they paid Ajax in 2022. With his contract running until June 2027, United are under no pressure to sell but are also eager to trim the squad.
Former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, however, believes United’s valuation is unrealistic if Betis are the only serious bidders.
It’s a big problem for them if it’s true he only wants to join Betis,
I suspect the reality is that there’s just not that much interest. If Betis are the only ones in, they simply don’t have the money to come close to what United want — even to break even on the deal.
Borson told Football Insider.
Betis are traditionally conservative in the transfer market, and their current squad value sits at €217.45m, according to Transfermarkt. Their most expensive recent signing remains Borja Iglesias, signed from Espanyol for €28m — a figure close to what United now demand for Antony.
If Betis do push through a deal, it would rival the club’s record transfer — the 1998 signing of Denílson from São Paulo for £21.5m, which was a world record fee at the time.
While Antony is reportedly eager to make his move to Betis permanent, as Softfootball had earlier reported Antony Eyes Real Betis Exit with Wage Cut Willingness, the question remains: how far are Betis willing to go to secure his signature?
