‘No Agreement’—Real Betis Withdraw Antony Transfer Bid

Real Betis have publicly walked away from transfer negotiations with Manchester United over winger Antony, insisting they cannot afford to meet the demands of both club and player.

It emerged earlier this week that United and Betis were approaching a long-awaited compromise over Antony, who has made it abundantly clear he is focused on returning to the club where he spent the second half of last season on loan.

The Athletic were among the outlets to report on Friday that an agreement had been reached between United and Betis, believed to be worth an initial €25 million (£21.7 million, $29.2 million) with a further €3 million in add-ons. The deal would also hand United 50% of the profit made from any future sale.

Spanish reports, however, soon stressed that Betis were voicing their displeasure with the news, insisting no agreement had been reached, and the La Liga side then sent formal statements to a handful of English outlets to set the record straight.

“There is no agreement and we have withdrawn the transfer offer because Real Betis can’t afford the transfer fee and the amounts that Manchester United must [instead] pay the player before the transfer,” a statement sent to talkSPORT read.

BBC Sport later quoted Betis as saying: “Betis has retired its offer. Betis cannot afford a transfer fee, nor the amounts the player is supposed to receive.”

Central to the issue are Antony’s wage demands. The Brazil international is in line for a significant wage drop and is thought to be seeking compensation to agree to walk away from the final two years of his United contract, which is worth £6 million per season.

Betis want United to agree a pay-off with Antony, whereas the Red Devils are reluctant to commit to a significant expense simply to get the former Ajax star off their books. As it stands, the deal has stalled.

There is hope from United’s side that a compromise will be reached, believing Betis are simply trying to ramp up the pressure in negotiations. Old Trafford chiefs will undoubtedly hope this is the case as they are running out of time to offload Antony before Monday’s transfer deadline.