Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag brought in Antony from Ajax for a whopping £85 million. The winger never had much success with the English club. Many fans wrote him off and pushed for him to leave the club. Now on loan at Real Betis, Antony has proved that ten Hag was right to sign the Brazilian.
Antony's struggle at Manchester United
Expectations were high when Antony came in, but ultimately, he failed to make his mark with a poor Manchester United side. In his three seasons at United, Antony only scored nine goals in all competitions, which also points to the offensive struggles the side has had.
Antony suffered multiple injuries, which constantly kept him out of the side. He also faced competition from the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Amad, who were often more in form than the Brazilian.
The winger never quite made the impression he would have wanted to before going on loan to Betis. Ten Hag had managed him before at Ajax, where he enjoyed success, which made him an appealing choice for the Dutch manager. When ten Hag was ousted at the English club, new manager Ruben Amorim and other higher-ups opted to send the Brazilian on loan.
Antony's revival at Real Betis
Life has started to look better for Antony since he left the English giants. At Betis, Antony has found himself in a similar position as Manchester United players, as he has reached the Europa Conference League final with the Spanish side.
Antony has been extremely influential in Real Betis' success in the competition. He has scored four goals in the Conference League, including a goal in each of the semi-final legs against Fiorentina. His stunning freekick beat former United goalkeeper David de Gea.
Antony has proved that ten Hag was right to bring the player in. Given the right circumstances, the Brazilian can still be the big player he was touted to be. While he might not find a way back in with Manchester United, Antony has not been the failure many marked him as.
Antony's revival has given the winger the chance to be scouted by many teams and could lead to an influx of money for Manchester United, as the team will likely sell him in the summer. Real Betis most likely won't be able to afford the winger, but teams like Juventus and Athletico Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Antony.