According to multiple media reports, Brazilian international Antony, who was acquired by Manchester United for 100 million euros from Ajax, has reached a verbal agreement to join La Liga's Betis on loan. United will cover part of Antony's salary. This season, the Brazilian international has only played 401 minutes and his market value has dropped to 20 million euros. Will he be able to deliver outstanding performances and prove his worth in the Spanish league?
A Brazilian international full of feints, excelling at Ajax but unable to establish himself at Manchester United
As a Brazilian player, Antony is naturally gifted with ball control. During his time at Ajax, he demonstrated excellent ability to break through on the flanks, using his feints to create breakthroughs and complete assists and goals. In European competitions, Antony also had impressive moments, especially in the match between Ajax and Sporting Portugal, where he performed heroically. It should be noted that at that time, Manchester United's current manager, Amorim, watched Antony's performance live.
However, after joining Manchester United, although Antony scored in his debut and helped United defeat Arsenal 3-1, after a brief highlight, this "100 million euro man" fell into a long-term injury and "firing blanks" state. His famous feints became a joke in the Premier League, which emphasizes physicality. As a winger, he couldn't break through, and his cutting inside shots lost their effectiveness once opponents became familiar with them.
Transferring to Betis, can he prove his worth?
Currently, Manchester United seems to have become a "black hole for stars," with many excellent players becoming "duds" at Old Trafford, from Pogba in the past to Eriksen later, and now Antony, Rashford, and Hojlund. With Antony's transfer to Betis, can he prove his worth like those who left United and succeeded elsewhere? Let's wait and see.
Antony's departure is good news for both the player and Manchester United. We hope Antony can prove his worth, as he is a Brazilian international wearing the five-star Brazil jersey, and he deserves higher expectations from fans.