Ruben Amorim names ONLY reason Antony is shining in Spain as Real Betis decide on permanent transfer

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has come clean on the sparkling form Antony has shown at Real Betis, while the LaLiga side are understood to have already reached a firm decision on his permanent signing after Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated his surprise demands.

The Brazilian moved to Old Trafford in summer 2023, arriving in a deal from Ajax that would eventually be worth £86m (€104.1m, $108m) once add-ons had been factored in. But the second-most costly signing in Manchester United history was to rarely show his abilities, with the player often finding himself the subject of barracking from rival fans and pundits alike.

Having played a role in just 17 goals (12 scored, five assists) in 96 appearances for the Red Devils, it was little surprise to see the 16-times capped Brazil winger moving on once Amorim got his feet under the table at Old Trafford.

However, the move to Spain with Real Betis has worked wonders for Antony‘s career. He has scored three times in seven matches for his new side, while the two assists he has grabbed have seen him named Man of the Match on three occasions. He was also instrumental in helping Manuel Pellegrini’s side record an impressive 2-1 win over defending champions Real Madrid over the weekend.

Now Amorim has come clean on why the winger has so quickly rediscovered his best form in Spain in an interview with TNT Sports.

“When you play against any team in England, the physicality is there. If you don’t have physicality, you will struggle a lot,” the United boss said in an interview with Rio Ferdinand.

“Antony is so much better now in Spain. It’s [because of] a lot of factors but I guarantee you it’s physicality.”

After such a sparkling start to life in Andalusia, it’s no surprise to see Betis ‘exploring options’ to secure his stay on a long-term arrangement.

However, Fichajes reports they are ready to walk away from the talks with immediate effect after learning of the surprisingly high fee United’s minority shareholder Ratcliffe is seeking for a permanent deal.

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How much Man Utd want for Antony and what the media are saying

Per the report, the British billionaire has told the LaLiga side it would take a fee of €50m (£41.3m, $52.4m) to make the move permanent – an asking price way beyond their means and seemingly ‘making the operation seem practically impossible’.

To put it into some context, Betis’ current transfer record stands at the €30m shelled out for another Brazilian winger, Denilson – that deal dating back well over 25 years having gone through back in 1998.

Since then, they have only spent more than €20m on two players – Borja Ingelsias from Espanyol in 2019 and Giovani Lo Celso from PSG the same year.

As a result, the prospect of them meeting United’s €50m demands are next to nothing – and United will have to either seriously reduce their asking price or hope another suitor comes in for the player this summer.

In light of that, reports on Sunday touted a major Italian suitor to enter the chase for his signing this summer.

Betis did not secure any option nor obligation to sign the 25-year-old permanently as part of the loan arrangement.

In the meantime, Antony has spoken of how he is enjoying his football again in Spain.

“I am very happy here, but I do not know what will happen in the future,” he told Kooora. “I always say that I enjoy every day with the club, the city, everything, and I give my best for the team. It is still too early to talk about my future.”

Antony also said: “I think that to regain my confidence, the most important thing was to reconnect with myself. I found that here, and that’s why I’m very happy and more confident every day.”

Meanwhile, LaLiga’s official social media also heralded Antony’s performance against Madrid on Saturday, tweeting a picture of the player with the words ‘The Antony effect’.

Sporting News also hailed the Brazilian’s work-rate in helping out his defence during the victory over Carlo Ancelotti’s side, commenting: “Antony’s attacking impact may have been limited today, but his defensive work has been outstanding.”

Man Utd latest: Amorim replacement ‘eyed’; another Sporting star linked

Meanwhile, pressure on Amorim’s future at Old Trafford has been ramped up in some sections of the media in the wake of Sunday’s FA Cup exit on penalties at the hands of Fulham.

The reigning holders scored all three of their spot-kicks, before misses from Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee allowed the Cottagers to progress into a quarter-final tie against Crystal Palace.

Now reports in Spain have ambitiously stated United chiefs are already casting envious eyes over a rival Premier League boss in case they decide to part company with the Portuguese coach.

Elsewhere, United are reportedly interested in signing as many as three or four Sporting CP stars this summer, with a report detailing new interest in winger Francisco Trincao. However, competition for his services is likely to arrive from one of United’s fiercest rivals.

Finally, United are reportedly ready to sell Rasmus Hojlund at a substantial loss, with the Italian media also dropping the bombshell revelation that the striker himself also wants out of Old Trafford.

The Denmark striker is yet to score this calendar year, with his drought now stretching back 18 games off the back of another frustrating game on Sunday.

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