Man Utd agree cut-price Antony sale, with mammoth sell-on clause an INEOS masterstroke

Manchester United have finally struck an agreement with Real Betis to sell Antony, with the long-running saga set to be resolved on transfer deadline day and with TWO major sacrifices in the Red Devils’ favour helping the Brazil winger land his dream move.

The winger was allowed to join the Spanish outfit on loan in January, and he quickly rediscovered the form that had persuaded Man Utd to shell out a huge £86m fee in the first place. And while Antony never looked like justifying that cost during his time at Old Trafford, the move to LaLiga had seen him quickly remind the watching world of his talent.

And after scoring nine goals and adding five assists from 26 appearances while in Spain, the winger had made it crystal clear that he was determined to rejoin the Andalusian club on a permanent basis this summer.

Despite that, Real Betis are not one of Spain’s more wealthy clubs and have struggled to match United’s demands for the player, with the Premier League side understandably determined not to suffer too great a hit on their initial investment.

However, with all parties keen to find a resolution, it has now emerged that, late into Sunday night, an agreement has now been struck between the two sides, worth €25m (£21.7m, $29.4m), which will see United suffer a near £60m hit on their original investment.

Crucially, however, there were two sacrifices made by both the player and Betis that were crucial in getting a deal over the line.

Firstly, Antony has agreed to forgo any contract severance package from United, which had been a sticking point during negotiations.

Secondly, Betis have also agreed a 50% sell-on clause on any future sale, potentially granting the Red Devils the chance to claw back a hefty future fee for the 16-times capped Brazil winger.

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Betis had been equally keen to secure Antony transfer

With a resolution now found, United are finally able to close the door on the player after a disastrous spell at Old Trafford, which yielded just 17 goal involvements (12 goals, five assists) from 96 appearances.

With those talks intensifying in recent days ,our reporter Rudy Galetti had revealed the renewed optimism that Betis had in striking what has ultimately proved a club record deal for the LaLiga side.

And last week, the Spanish outfit’s CEO, Ramon Alarcon, had openly revealed how desperate and determined they are to get the deal done.

Alarcon told Estadio Deportivo: “Well, we’re working on it.

“As we always say, we are working to the maximum every day, but there is very little time left until the summer market closes.

“We have already said it, the operation is very complicated, but well, we are still working.

“It has been a productive journey, it always is when one is working.

“Let’s see if we can get something positive. We already know that the end of the transfer market is difficult, but we have to keep working.”

The cost of the deal also means, as per AS, that Manuel Pellegrini will be unable to make any further additions to his squad, which will be a concern to the manager, given the obvious gaps he needs to fill in his side.

Man Utd transfer latest: Emi Martinez ‘almost done’; Mainoo stance clear

Meanwhile, United are closing in on the late signing of Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after cooling their interest in a second target, TEAMtalk understands.

Personal terms with the World Cup winner have already been agreed.

Elsewhere, David Ornstein has provided an update on the chances of wantaway midfielder Kobbie Mainoo leaving Old Trafford before the summer window slams shut.

And finally, United could have an unexpected decision to make in the final hours of the transfer window after Juventus set their eyes on a player who only arrived at Old Trafford last summer, according to reports in Italy.

Antony’s stats during his time on loan with Real Betis