Man Utd swap deal gathers pace as president vows to sign reborn star Amorim wants GONE

Manchester United are increasingly hopeful of offloading Antony this summer with Real Betis’ president making a personal vow to secure his signing on a permanent basis – and with the Red Devils’ preferred option of two possible swap targets now emerging.

Antony joined the Red Devils from Ajax in the summer of 2022 and for a fee that would eventually top £86m – making the Brazilian the second most costly signing in Manchester United history. But after failing to show anything like what is required from a United attacker, let alone one who cost such a colossal fee, it was no surprise to see the player shown the door by new manager Ruben Amorim at the first opportunity.

However, Antony’s loan move to Real Betis has paid rich dividends. The 16-times capped Brazil winger has five goals and four assists from 18 appearances since joining Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who have stormed up the LaLiga table and are now in with a real shout of claiming a Champions League place next season.

Qualification for the UCL will significantly enhance Betis’ chances of signing Antony on a permanent basis, although United’s valuation of the player – currently set for around €50m (£42.8m, $57m) – is well beyond their reach.

That said, with United now casting their eyes over two Betis stars to use in a swap deal – both winger Jesus Rodriguez and midfielder Johnny Cardoso are of interest – the prospect of a high-profile exchange is beginning to ramp up.

Real Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo has also reiterated his side’s desire to make Antony’s stay permanent.

“It is a source of satisfaction on a personal level [to have brought Antony to Real Betis], but it is the result of teamwork,” Fajardo said, via Manchester Evening News.

“Although I am responsible for the sporting management, there are many people involved in this signing. It’s still early, but we will try in different ways to do everything possible to continue enjoying Antony.”

READ MORE 🟢⚪ How Antony went from Man Utd flop to ‘top class’ LaLiga star at Real Betis

Man Utd swap deal preference for Antony emerges

Pellegrini also admits he hopes to have Antony at his disposal again next season.

“I see Antony very involved in the team, in the group, in the institution,” Pellegrini said. “We would all be happy if he stayed, but now we have to focus on the present.”

Antony himself has also admitted his happiness with life in Andalusia.

“I am very happy here, but I do not know what will happen in the future,” he said. “I always say that I enjoy every day, with the club, the city, everything, and I give my best for the team. It is still too early to talk about my future.”

Antony also said: “I think that to regain my confidence, the most important thing was to reconnect with myself. I found that here, and that’s why I’m very happy and more confident every day.”

Amorim, though, is giving little away, only insisting United’s loan players will return this summer before any final decisions are made.

“All the players on loan will return and then the club will decide what to do at the end of the season,” Amorim said on Friday.

“When you put a player on loan, the best thing is for them to perform. All these [loan] players have talent and they have to put that on the team.

“The talent of [Marcus] Rashford, the talent of Antony, they all have talent. We are really happy because if you put players on loan, you want them to perform. That is good for us.”

Fabrizio Romano, though, is convinced Antony will never be seen in a United shirt again.

“On both cases, the indication I’m getting from sources is that Antony is not expected to play for Manchester United next season and Marcus Rashford is not expected to play for Manchester United next season as well,” Romano began on his YouTube channel, before explaining Aston Villa and Real Betis’ stances on how to keep their loanees.

“Things can change in football, there is pre-season, anything can happen, but the current feeling at Manchester United is that they will look for options for Marcus Rashford. It could be a permanent transfer; let’s see what happens with Aston Villa, if Aston Villa will qualify for Champions League football next season or not.

“But Marcus Rashford is still expected to go and try a new chapter in the summer transfer window, also because Man Utd count with that money to sign players like Cunha, the striker and all the rest they want to do in the summer transfer window. So the expectation is for Rashford to go.

“For Antony, Real Betis for sure will try to keep the player at the club for one more season, maybe a new loan. Let’s see how Betis will be able to discuss with Manchester United.

“But for sure, the understanding is that Antony’s expected to go in the summer to try something different, because this is the wish of the club. The expectation is not for Marcus Rashford and Antony to be part of the squad.”

Now according to a number of sources, United are ready to sanction the permanent exit of Antony to Betis – but will ask for Cardoso as part of any arrangement.

The USA midfielder has enjoyed an excellent season, chipping in with four goals from his defensive midfield position.

And while he has only been at Betis since January 2024, a move away looks likely this summer with the LaLiga side already granting Tottenham Hotspur first permission to sign him.

However, multiple sources, including the much-followed United writer, Sam Cohen, now claims United’s No.1 target is Cardoso – and they could ask Betis to reneg on their agreement with Spurs to let him join the Red Devils as part of any deal for Antony.

To that end, Cohen claims on his X account that United scouts have keeping a close eye on the 23-year-old midfielder in recent weeks ahead of a possible summer swoop.

Man Utd latest: Mind-blowing €100m double bid; Liverpool snub £120k star

Meanwhile, United are aiming to sign Denzel Dumfries and another Inter Milan star this summer, having drawn up a stunning €100m (£85m / $113.5m) offer for the duo, according to a report.

The Red Devils are also closing in on an agreement to make Matheus Cunha their first signing of the summer, with all the details revealed of the wage the Brazilian will receive, how long his contract will be for and how much United are paying for his signing.

The capture of Cunha will be the first of two expected attacking additions at Old Trafford this summer – and a new No.9 is also certain to sign this summer. That player is strongly expected to be Liam Delap after his impressive campaign with Ipswich, though reports in Italy have now made startling new claims about Victor Osimhen’s chances of rocking up at Old Trafford this summer.

And finally, it has emerged that Liverpool snubbed the chance to sign a £120,000 a week Man Utd star last summer.

IN-PROFILE: Who is Johnny Cardoso?

Life has moved fast for Cardoso ever since the United States international midfielder moved to Europe last January.

The 22-year-old joined Real Betis from Brazilian side Internacional during the January transfer window and has so impressed in little over half a season in La Liga that Tottenham Hotspur have already moved to secure a first option on him at a pre-agreed price of €30m.

It was a savvy move from Spurs who, as part of the negotiations to sell Argentinian playmaker Gio Lo Celso back to the Andalusian club they signed from in 2019, extracted additional value from the deal by obtaining the rights to jump the queue for one of the most interesting and high-potential young players in the Spanish top flight.

Cardoso was born on New Jersey and has represented the USA at under-23 and senior level, but to all intents and purposes he is a Brazilian footballer.

Born to Brazilian parents, the Cardosos moved back to their South American homeland when baby João Lucas – nicknamed “Johnny” – was just a few months old.

Cardoso came through the youth academy at Internacional to make his senior debut for the club a few days before his 18th birthday.

He soon became a regular starter at the Beira-Rio, racking up 144 appearances and scoring seven goals for the side from Porto Alegre.

That was enough to attract Betis’ attention, and the club from Seville splashed €6 million to take him to the Estadio Benito Villamarin midway through last season.

Cardoso hit the ground running in La Liga. After making his debut in a 4-2 loss to Barcelona on January 21, he played a full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over Mallorca a week later. Over what remained of the campaign, the 22-year-old started 15 of Betis’ 17 fixtures, coming off the bench in the other two.

Despite his impressive displays after his cross-continental switch, anyone expecting Cardoso to showcase the kind of flair, trickery and creativity associated with players who learned their trade in Brazil would have been disappointed.

Instead, he is a player in the mould of the classic Brazilian defensive midfielders – more Dunga than Romario, more Casemiro than Neymar. Strong and athletic at 6ft tall, Cardoso is a fierce competitor who doesn’t swerve a physical challenge in his duties protecting the backline. On the ball, he keeps things relatively simple, with a conservative approach to passing.

Read the full feature here…