Manchester United loanee Antony is a shock transfer target for Premier League rivals Arsenal, with reports in Spain claiming he is one of Mikel Arteta’s “priorities”.
The Brazilian has been a revelation since joining Real Betis on loan in January, scoring four goals and assisting four more in only 12 matches.
It is a turnaround in form few expected from a player who rarely impressed during his time at Old Trafford, and according to Fichajes his form in La Liga has caught Arteta’s eye.
The report claims Arsenal are in a hurry to get a deal done for the player, with their intention “to pre-empt any other suitors and negotiate with Manchester United as soon as possible to secure his signing.”
Fichajes note that Antony has shown “a level far superior to that he displayed at Old Trafford”, waxing lyrical about his ability on the ball which has made him a “fundamental player” for Betis despite having only been there a couple of months.
Unsurprisingly manager Manuel Pellegrini is very keen to keep the Brazilian in Andalusia; teammate Isco even asked for a crowdfunding campaign to retain the player’s services after the Seville derby.
But Betis’ hopes of signing him permanently “are complicated by competition from clubs with greater financial power”, a group which certainly includes Arsenal.
Indeed, they are “willing to make a strong bid for the winger and will not hesitate to submit an offer that surpasses any attempt by Betis to keep him.”
There seems no doubt that United will look to sell the player rather than reintegrate him into Ruben Amorim’s squad, and the prospect of a bidding war sounds promising.
Selling to a close rival sometimes leaves a sour taste, but Antony looked so out of his depth against Premier League opposition that a transfer to London is unlikely to ruffle too many United feathers.
But regardless of his underwhelming time in England before, Arteta reportedly “believes his profile fits perfectly with the London club’s style of play and is determined to sign him.”
Antony scored against Arsenal on his United debut in a 3-1 win at Old Trafford, on his way to becoming the first player in 50 years to score in his first three league games for the club.
Featured image Octavio Passos via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
