United will be cheering Antony to victory in Conference League final for one important reason – report

Manchester United could be set for a bonus payment from Antony’s loan move to Real Betis if the Spanish side emerge victorious from the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday.

The Heliopolitans will face off against Chelsea at the Stadion Miejski in Poland tomorrow night with Antony hoping to help his adopted side win the competition.

The 25-year-old winger has been reborn since swapping Manchester for Seville in the January transfer window after falling down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim.

But where Antony struggled with the intensity and physicality of Premier League football, La Liga’s slower pace and greater emphasis on technical ability has seen him shine.

He has scored nine goals and provided five assists in 25 appearances for Betis, offering a constant level of threat to opposition defences and immediately becoming a key part of Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

In the semi-final clash with Fiorentina, Antony was Betis’ most important player, scoring twice past former teammate David De Gea and finding the crucial assists to send his team to the final in Poland.

The Heliopolitans are extremely keen for Antony to remain at the Villamarin Stadium next season but United would need to sell for a minimum of £32.5 million to avoid a negative PSR hit on the winger’s sale – a fee likely to be too much, even with European football.

Betis will play in the Europa League next season – the step up from the Conference League – after finishing 6th in La Liga.

This qualification means the Spanish club will pay United an additional €150,000 as part of a clause in Antony’s loan.

But this fee could be matched by another €365,000 payment should Betis beat Chelsea tomorrow night, given Antony has played in at least 50% of the matches en route to the final, according to Spanish outlet ABC.

This would bring the extra money United could profit from Antony’s loan move to a total of €515,000 (£432,000).

And in a summer where every penny counts at Old Trafford, as INEOS implement a comprehensive overhaul of Amorim’s disjointed squad, a bonus of just under half a million would be very welcome.

Featured image Gabriele Maltinti via Getty Images

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