Antony ‘could be rescued from Man Utd hell by Erik ten Hag with Real Betis unable to afford permanent transfer’
ANONY could be saved from his Manchester United hell by the man who brought him to Old Trafford in the first place.
According to reports, new Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag is considering sining the Brazilian for Leverkusen this summer.
Ten Hag was in charge at United when Antony arrived for £86m in 2022.
But the tricky winger’s time in Manchester has been nothing short of a disaster, with Antony even admitting he went days without eating it got so bad.
Antony was handed a loan lifeline by Real Betis for the second half of this season, excelling in Spain where he registered 14 goal contributions in 26 games as Betis secured a Europa League place next season.
However, despite glowing reviews and an internal ambition to re-sign the 25-year-old, Betis are thought to be unable to afford Antony on a permanent deal.
United are understood to prefer a permanent sale for Antony if an exit is sanctioned.
According to Sky Sports, Bayer Leverkusen could offer a viable option for Antony to finally call a permenant end to his time at the Theatre of Dreams.
The Bundesliga club are thought to have shortlisted Antony as one of a number of forwards they are keen on should Florian Wirtz leave for Liverpool this summer.
Wirtz looks destined for a switch to the Premier League champions with Arne Slot and his team tabling club-record bids to convince the German to head to Anfield.
Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus
in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford
Reports claim that Antony being reintegrated back into the fold under Ruben Amorim should not yet be ruled out either.
However Antony made it clear how much he has struggled to adapt to life in the spotlight at one of the world’s biggest clubs in United.
In an emotional interview with TNT Sports Brazil, he revealed: “I wanted to do things [at Man Utd], but they didn’t see to work out because I wasn’t happy.
“I didn’t feel that desire to play football, and I needed to find myself and be happy again because playing football was always something I loved.
“I went through difficult times when I no longer felt that pleasure. I even always told my brother, I told him that I couldn’t take it anymore.
“[My brother] told me to hold on a little longer, that things were going to change. It even made me emotional, because they were very hard days for me.
“Only I know what it was like to be there at home, not having the strength to even play with my son, going days without eating, staying locked in my room.
“So, for me it was very complicated, but thank God, with the help of my family and mainly with the help of God, I managed to get ahead and today I am very happy here.”
Man Utd have already announced the arrival of Matheus Cunha in a £62.5m swap from Wolves, while Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo appears to be next in line for a summer move to join Amorim’s underachieving outfit.