Antony has enjoyed an excellent start to his Real Betis career after arriving on loan from Man United in the January transfer window.
Real Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini has described Antony as a “very special player”, insisting he has seen improvements in his game since arriving from Manchester United in January.
Betis signed the Brazilian winger on loan for the remainder of the campaign in the mid-season window and he has hit the ground running, scoring four goals and claiming four assists in his first 11 appearances across all competitions.
Antony’s United career had hit the buffers under both Erik ten Hag, who campaigned for his signature in the 2022 summer transfer window, and Ruben Amorim, meaning he was left with little choice but to leave Old Trafford in pursuit of regular game time.
To his credit, he has resurrected his career somewhat in Spain, displaying the qualities and credentials that convinced United to agree to an £86.3million package to sign him in September 2022. And Pellegrini has admitted that the fee United paid for him is no surprise now that he has had the opportunity to work with him.
“He is a very special player, it is not a coincidence when €100 million (£86m) are paid for a player,” Pellegrini told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. “He arrived with the conviction that he had to mature.
“He has more than enough conditions; more than demonstrating his ability, he is demonstrating his functionality and his capacity to be a practical player.
“Now he is more focused on finishing the play, on taking crosses. He is showing a lot of humility and accepting the challenge of evolving in his career because he is still very young.”
The deal that took Antony to Seville just over two months ago was a straight loan featuring no option for Betis to automatically turn his stay into a permanent one. However, they have made no secret of their desire to retain his services.
That, though, could all rest on if they secure European qualification for next season. They are currently competing in the Europa Conference League but are still in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League for next term.
Sporting director Manu Fajardo told Spanish newspaper Marca: “Today, Antony is performing immediately from minute one in the squad.
“We haven’t lost our enthusiasm, we can’t rule out anything in football, and hopefully Real Betis will remain in the top European positions to benefit his continuity and the arrival of other great players.”
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