Antony’s wildly fluctuating fortunes are a consequence of events on and off the field.
A matter of mere months since Manchester United swallowed an enormous loss on their costly investment, Antony has been billed as the perfect blend of Neymar Jr.’s Brazilian swagger and Cristiano Ronaldo’s tireless work ethic by his current Real Betis teammate Marc Bartra.
Antony has found a safe haven in Seville. The Brazilian outcast in Manchester, who lost his starting place under Erik ten Hag and never gained one during Ruben Amorim’s tenure, was offloaded for just €22 million (£19.4 million, $25.6 million) this summer, less than a quarter of the €95 million United paid Ajax for the diminutive winger three short years earlier.
Betis even had the luxury of adopting the try-before-you-buy model. Antony joined the La Liga outfit on loan for the second half of last season and proved to be an instant revelation. The Brazilian was voted MVP in each of his first two outings in green and white, surpassing his tally of one Player of the Match award across 62 Premier League appearances.
