Antony aims subtle dig at Man United as Betis loan nears end

Antony claims that leaving Man United to join Real Betis on loan was the best decision he has ever made.

The Brazilian moved to Old Trafford for an eye-watering £86m from Ajax in 2022 but endured a nightmare two-and-a-half years in England during which he registered just 12 goals and five assists in 96 games for the Red Devils.

Since being shipped out on loan to the Estadio Benito Villamarin in January, however, the 25-year-old has been a revelation — scoring seven goals and making four assists in 20 appearances for Manuel Pellegrini's side.

His form has caught the eye of suitors with Betis reportedly interested in another loan move, while Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid may attempt to sign him permanently, according to El Chiringuito.

Although he has two years remaining on his contract at United, it remains to be seen if there is any chance of Antony having a future at the club. And the odds of an Old Trafford shortened with Antony's latest comments about his parent club.

'The best decision I’ve ever made was coming to Betis,'  he said.

'I’m happy — and when I’m happy, things go well.

Betis will no doubt have been buoyed by Antony's comments but they do not possess an option to buy Antony from Man United once his current loan deal expires after the end of the season.

Red Devils' manager Ruben Amorim has previously stated that decisions over all players currently on loan to other teams will be made upon their returns and they club will surely be keen to recoup as much of the £86m they forked out on Antony as possible.

And Antony admitted that he is still in the dark about were he will be playing next season.

'The future? It's very early; I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm very happy here," he said.

'I've found myself enjoying football. It's crazy right now, although I know how talented I am, so I prioritised going where I knew I'd be happy, even though I had better offers.'

Betis have four La Liga fixtures to go before the season ends, sitting one point outside of the top-five Champions League qualification spaces in La Liga as things stand.

They also hold a 2-1 advantage from the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final against Fiorentina as they aim to meet Chelsea or Djurgarden in the final later this month.