Man Utd finally confirm Antony exit with 'unique transfer clause'

Manchester United have confirmed that Antony has left the club in a move that goes against Ruben Amorim’s wishes.

The Brazilian has completed a loan move to Spanish side Real Betis until the end of the season. Antony, 24, travelled to Spain earlier this week to undergo a medical and put the final touches on his move.

According to reports in Spain, Betis will contribute a large chunk of the forward’s wages during his spell at the club, while there is no option or obligation to buy him after his initial loan stint. United have also made sure to slot a clause into the agreement that will grant Antony regular first-team football.

The Red Devils have written in a ‘penalty’ clause into the move that will see Betis fork out a fee should they not play Antony enough. The 16-times Brazil international has made 14 appearances for United this season in all competitions - albeit just three of those outings have been starts.

United confirmed the move on Saturday night in a lengthy statement. In the statement, they added:" Everybody at United would like to wish Antony the best of luck for his spell in Seville."

Antony’s move also ignores United boss Amorim’s claim that he wanted to keep the winger at Old Trafford. He said: “Like I said, I want to keep my players. I’m focused on this, these players. I don’t know what is going to happen. This window, we’ll see, but he did a good job."

Meanwhile, the player's agent Junior Pedroso claimed last month that a loan move away from Old Trafford was an option. He said: “Yes, many clubs have approached us for Antony’s move in January. These clubs wanted to understand the situation for Antony, so I can confirm that there’s concrete interest."

He added: “I can say that Antony’s future is very much tied to Manchester United's interests. If the club thinks it would be a good idea to loan Antony out in January so he can get more minutes and regain his trust, we will work together on that option. Otherwise, Antony is working hard to regain his place and show his best skills under the new coach Ruben Amorim.”

Antony has endured a miserable spell at Old Trafford since arriving from Ajax. United invested £81m to sign him from the Dutch giants and he enjoyed a bright start to life with the club, scoring in each of his first three league appearances.

But there have been just a further nine goals since then, with Antony losing a place in the starting line-up altogether under former boss Erik ten Hag and then Ruben Amorim. He might not be the only high-profile exit from Old Trafford this month.

Academy graduate Marcus Rashford is expected to depart after a public falling out with Amorim - Borussia Dortmund are chasing his services. Alejandro Garnacho could also be allowed to leave, with Napoli eyeing his signature.