After making a name for himself at Ajax, Antony joined Manchester United in the summer of 2022 in a big-money move. While he had a decent start to life at Old Trafford, slowly things went downhill for him as the team struggled to get desired results under Erik ten Hag.
Ruben Amorim’s arrival towards the end of last year was seen as an opportunity for the Brazilian to revive himself. However, things didn’t go according to plan and the club ended up sending him out on loan to Real Betis at the start of 2025.
The 25-year-old got his career back on track with an impressive spell at Betis and legendary shot-stopper Edwin van der Sar feels United should hand him another chance. While speaking about United’s transfer plans for next season, Van der Sar suggested that the Red Devils should bring him back.
He said via : “Luckily, I’m not in a position anymore to dictate at a club which kind of players have to come, but they’re on the right track by signing a more experienced striker, maybe with another one on the way.
“The two players they signed in the winter break were good, so they should be fine if they give faith to the manager.
“Maybe [Alejandro] Garnacho’s going to go, I would say bring Antony back, but I’m not sure if that’s realistic.”
The £86 million signing became one of the mainstays at Betis under Manuel Pellegrini. He was involved in a total of 26 matches and ended up contributing towards 14 goals (9 goals, 5 assists).
The Spanish club were in the bottom half of the table back in January but he helped them secure a sixth-placed finish. Antony also played his part in their incredible run in the Conference.
While Pellegrini wanted to secure his services on a permanent basis, the fee required to get him out of Old Trafford is beyond their reach. As a result, he is unlikely to return to Seville. Bayer Leverkusen have emerged as a potential destination for the 25-year-old with former boss Erik ten Hag taking over as their new manager.
Antony has attracted significant interest from across Europe, but Van der Sar believes he could still prove to be a valuable asset for Manchester United. The Brazilian international possesses the potential to become a special player and is capable of competing for a spot in the starting XI. However, even the United legend admits that whether such a turnaround is realistically possible remains to be seen.
