Man Utd ‘desperate’ to sell big-money flop singled out by Ratcliffe as the club’s biggest mistake

Manchester United winger Antony has got off to a flying start on loan with Real Betis, but sources state that he has no chance of resurrecting his Old Trafford career, along with several others.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team are trying to shed the excess spending at the club and offload players who aren’t part of Ruben Amorim’s long term plans.

Antony, Marcus Rashford and Tyrell Malacia were all sent out on loan in January, even if the club’s initial preference was to sell the trio.

Sources close to Man Utd state that Antony’s £86m (including add-ons) acquisition from Ajax is seen as one of the worst pieces of business in the club’s recent history.

During INEOS’ takeover of the Red Devils, Ratcliffe highlighted the Antony deal as the prime example of what cannot be allowed to happen again in the future.

The Man Utd board have since reviewed all transfers from recent years. They valued Antony at £40m at the time of the deal in 2022 and were ‘amazed’ a deal for double that price was agreed, per sources.

They hope that Antony’s loan with Betis will help the 24-year-old get back in form and put him in the shop window for a summer sale, which sources say the club are ‘desperate’ for.

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Antony could be left in limbo at Man Utd

Antony’s loan with Betis does not include a buy option and the Spanish club would not be able to match his current wages of just over £200,000 per week, so a permanent switch to the LaLiga side is off the cards.

The Brazilian will therefore have to look elsewhere for his next move, but at this stage it appears unlikely that any side would match his salary.

Antony’s wage is an example of why Ratcliffe is making major cuts and those close to the club say state that they believe they have been taken to the cleaners by players who did not justify their pay packet.

Antony has made two appearances so far for Real Betis and scored in their 3-2 loss to Celta Vigo last week.

Man Utd have now switched their focus in the transfer market to signing young players with lower wage demands but still have high potential.

Ruben Amorim is still in the early stages of his tenure but was told by the club from the outset that January wouldn’t be a big window due to PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules).

Amorim managed to bring in a new left-back in Patrick Dorgu, but the manager will have to wait until the summer to see any major surgery done to his squad.

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