The January window saw a few Manchester United stars depart the club on loan deals across Europe.
The moves came as head coach Ruben Amorim attempts to knock his available squad into shape, viewing a few components as surplus to requirements for the remainder of the season.
They looked like smart agreements a matter of days ago. Since then, the Red Devils have plunged further down the Premier League table, been hit with an injury crisis and, in the meantime, one of their loanees is performing well enough to catch the eye of European heavyweights Bayern Munich. It’s been a rough month so far.
Manchester United star Antony attracts Bayern Munich attention following strong Real Betis start
Antony had become something of a figure of fun in Manchester, signed in 2022 for an eye-watering base fee of £80.75m from Ajax – the third-most expensive Brazilian player of all-time – and posted just three goals in all competitions across the 2023/24 campaign.
Nobody is laughing anymore, however, with the Brazilian kicking off a temporary stint with La Liga outfit Real Betis this winter by registering three goals and an assist in his first four games.
His performances have reportedly already attracted the attention of Bayern, according to a report from Fichajes.
It’s a move that would have been unthinkable just months ago, but according to the Spanish outlet, Die Roten see Antony as a potential market opportunity and could table an offer if he maintains these early levels.
United would likely be keen for a sale, with the winger’s chances of impact at Old Trafford remote, and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe desperately in search of ways to save money to avoid the club going bust, according to the Guardian.
Antony’s contract at United runs until 2027, with an optional additional year. Betis do not have an option-to-buy clause inserted in his current loan deal.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, even with this good start at Betis, it feels like the Antony experiment at Old Trafford is finished, and has been for some time.
The best case scenario for Amorim’s side would look something similar to the current situation, with Antony putting himself in the shop window ahead of a summer sale. Anything United can recoup from the deal will be a bonus, given that suitors were not falling over themselves to take the forward a few weeks ago.
According to Transfermarkt, Antony is currently worth €20million. Onlookers like Bayern will expect to pay much less than United did in 2022.
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