Manchester United have had to swallow their pride and reduce their asking price for Antony amid concerns he will still be at the club in the dying embers of the transfer window.
Despite being placed in INEOS’ exiled quintet at the start of the summer, Antony, like Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho, has failed to agree a move elsewhere.
Now, with just three days to go until United kick off their 2025/2026 campaign, the Red Devils hierarchy have been left pulling their hair out at how on earth they can get rid of the wantaway players.
Why Antony is still at United
There’s a strong chance Garnacho’s exit materialises in the coming weeks after Chelsea registered their interest in signing the Argentine international – a transfer that he has already green-lit behind the scenes.
Antony has also been expected to return to Real Betis since his initial loan spell came to an end, with United making it very clear from the start of the summer that he is free to leave for the right price.
Yet, it’s such demands that have led to Betis opting against a formal proposal; they cannot meet United’s financial requests via an upfront fee and had instead set their sights on another loan, this time for the duration of the season.
United slash Antony’s price tag
Of course, United are uninterested in facilitating another temporary outgoing, having already done so for Marcus Rashford when he made the switch to Barcelona.
GiveMeSport claims that a fee as low as £30 million would be enough for the Old Trafford outfit to part ways with Antony before the window closes, meaning they stand to take a £52 million hit on the ludicrous £82 million they forked out for him back in 2022.
The 25-year-old is said to be ‘desperate’ to seal a return to the Villamarin Stadium, where he oversaw his most prolific form since leaving Ajax.
We play Arsenal this Sunday 17th August and we still haven’t got a new goalkeeper and midfielder.
We do gave a complete new forward line, but this won’t prove anything without a new goalkeeper and someone to fill that big hole in midfield.
Onana is not fit to wear the United Jersey, and he will let us down again this season in important games. Fernandes dropping back to midfield this season is only going to make that hole even bigger in midfield, as he moves forward, and loses the ball with trying his Hollywood passes.
Unless we get these 2 positions sorted, and a plan B in games that we are getting run over, we won’t be getting close to that top 4 position this season.
Completely correct. Defensive midfielder would be nice but leaving our future in Inana’s hands..after what we have experienced over the past 2 years would be an absolute disaster.. Lammens. Suzuki.. would be great cannot fathom why we did not go for the PSG Keeper.. !
As the above person said, it’s critical to our season that we get a new CM. Casemiro and Ugarte just will not do. Even more precarious now that Collyer is going to be loaned out and and Kone is out of the action for a few weeks. We’re going to be getting run over and hammered if we’re not careful on this matter. It’s already cost Ole, Mourinho and Ten Hag their jobs so we don’t want another casualty. Get a damn midfielder ffs