Manchester United misfit Antony makes honest transfer admission ahead of return

Manchester United outcast Antony has flourished on loan at Real Betis but admits he is none the wiser as to whether or not he will be with the Spanish club next season

Antony admits he has no idea whether he will be able to return to Real Betis next season following the La Liga outfit's crushing defeat in the Europa Conference League final against Chelsea.

The winger, 25, was farmed out on loan by Manchester United in January after failing to impress in a red shirt since his blockbuster £85million transfer in the summer of 2022. He has flourished during his time in Spain, although he was largely anonymous in Wednesday night's final in Poland, which Chelsea won 4-1.

An emotional Antony was quizzed about his future after the game; and while he continues to make no secret of his desire to stay at Betis, the Brazilian is taking nothing for granted ahead of the summer transfer window.

Speaking to CBS Sports, Antony said: "I don’t what will happen in the future, only God knows.

"My work is playing and I’m doing that well. I have a lot of affection for Betis, for everyone but I have a contract with Man United and I don’t know what’s going to happen, only they know what’s happening.

"Now I will go to the national team and then on holiday then we will see what happens in the future. I’m very happy here, everyone knows that. I went to sleep and I woke up happy but I have a contract and I don’t know what’s going to happen."

Manchester United would welcome the chance to offload Antony for good and are prepared to take a significant loss on a player who has never looked like the same star that dazzled under the club's previous manager, Erik ten Hag, at Ajax.

But while the Red Devils will consider serious offers for all of their players this summer, there are significant doubts that Betis could finance a permanent deal for Antony.

After lighting up La Liga during his loan spell, all eyes were on Antony ahead of Wednesday night's big game with Chelsea. But he failed to perform and was even branded "a ghost" by former Blues defender Frank Leboeuf.

He told ESPN: "It wasn’t his night. I don’t really follow La Liga except the big games but I thought Antony had a better change in his football. Today I saw the ghost that was playing for Manchester United. The only thing he did was pick fights with Enzo Fernandez.

"I was very disappointed with his game, I was expecting something more creative and dangerous. Unfortunately for Betis we didn’t see the Antony who has been good during his loan. That guy has to avoid English football, that’s it. Don’t play against English teams and don’t play for any football club in England because it doesn’t suit him."