La Liga Club Eyes Manchester United’s Antony For January Transfer

Manchester United winger, Antony Matheus, has emerged as a key January transfer target for La Liga side Real Betis.

However, the Red Devils face challenges in the transfer market, as they must first offload players before being able to bring in new signings.

At the season’s halfway mark, Antony has clocked just 356 minutes of playing time in a Manchester United shirt and has yet to make a single start in the Premier League.

His struggles continue as he finds himself at the bottom of the winger pecking order under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, limiting his opportunities to contribute to the team.

The Brazilian scored in each of his first three Premier League appearances back in the autumn of 2022, including during a win over Arsenal, but has famously struggled to justify a massively inflated £86m transfer fee ever since.

The Times reports that Manchester United may face challenges in offloading players during the January transfer window, with only Marcus Rashford and Antony attracting any significant interest. Real Betis is keen on acquiring Antony on loan, as first reported by ABC.

However, they would need to cover part of his £150,000 weekly wages and also part ways with their current winger, Assane Diao.

“We don’t have that possibility [to buy] in January if we don’t take some players [out of the squad]. It is not that I am arriving here and can spend money changing the team,” Amorim has said.

Antony, although reportedly identified as a £25m player by United scouts during the reign of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was billed as one of the brightest young talents in Europe during his Ajax days.

Despite his familiarity with Erik ten Hag, Antony has been unable to find his best form on the pitch. Compounding the situation are off-field issues, including allegations of assault from multiple women, which have also affected his performance.

Former United coach Benni McCarthy recently revealed that it was Ten Hag’s vested interest and loyalty towards Antony, having pushed for him to join the club, that limited Amad Diallo’s first-team prospects.

Since getting a consistent chance during the interim reign of Ruud van Nistelrooy, the Ivory Coast international has been the struggling team’s best player.