‘Kompany called me personally’: Ten Hag signing opens up on 11th-hour summer approach from Bayern Munich

Prior to his deadline-day switch to Real Betis, Antony was approached by Bayern Munich in an attempt to change his mind.All summer long, the ex-Manchester United winger had been angling to rejoin Betis following his half-season loan spell.The move allowed him the chance to revive his career in a more suitable environment than the Premier League, where Antony had never fully looked confident or comfortable plying his trade against top-flight defenders.How Antony’s Betis move came to fruition(Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)Alas, when his temporary spell came to an end and it was clear he wouldn’t play any part in Ruben Amorim’s plans, the Brazilian began pushing for a swift return to the Villamarin Stadium.Had Betis simply met United’s financial demands, a deal could’ve been agreed upon from the get-go of the window opening.However, the Spanish outfit were angling for another loan in order to avoid paying a lump sum for Antony’s signature.The player himself was also playing hardball behind the scenes; he began demanding that his contract be fully paid off so that he could receive a lucrative payoff to cut short his tenure.The Red Devils were, of course, uninterested in facilitating such a transaction, and bided their time until the very final days.Eventually, Los Verdiblancos were made to put their money where their mouths were and submitted a £25 million bid to put an end to the saga once and for all.United deemed their offer acceptable, signalling the end of Antony’s lacklustre three-year career as a Red. Games Goals Assists 96 12 5 *Antony’s complete record at United, as per TransfermarktAntony confirms 11th-hour approach from Bayern(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)The 25-year-old has since revealed that he had the option of joining European giants Bayern, with Vincent Kompany personally holding talks to try and negotiate his arrival.“Bayern Munich tried to sign me in the final 24 hours of the summer window,” said Antony.“Kompany called me personally. We spoke… he said he’s always been a big fan of my game, but I gave my word to Betis, and I couldn’t betray them. Betis, for me, means happiness.”