Manchester United 'miss out' on £479,000 transfer windfall - but it might be a good thing

Manchester United have reportedly missed out on a £479,000 transfer windfall, but it might actually be for the greater good of the club. It is all because of Antony.

United paid a staggering £82 million to sign the Brazilian forward from Ajax in the 2022 summer transfer window, but he never came close to justifying the enormous price tag. Antony fell out of favour with former manager Erik ten Hag and was deemed surplus to requirements by head coach Ruben Amorim.

Antony joined La Liga side Real Betis on loan in the January transfer window, with no option to make it permanent at the end of the campaign. It initially looked like a mistake, but could prove to be a masterstroke, given that his impressive form for the club has seen his transfer value rise. The 25-year-old has four goals and four assists for Betis, and it is understood Manuel Pellegrini's side will do everything in their power to secure a permanent deal this summer.

United miss out on Antony penalty fee

Real Betis agreed to cover a minimum 84% of Antony's salary during his loan spell, while several performance related add-ons were also included in the deal. It is the failure to exercise one of those clauses that will see United miss out on a potential windfall, but all for good reason.

ABC Sevilla say there was a clause inserted into the initial loan agreement that Betis would need to pay a £479,000 loan fee to United if he made less than 15 appearances during his time at the club. However, Antony reached the milestone when he featured in their 2-1 loss against Villarreal over the weekend, which further highlighted his importance to the Spanish side, and showcased why he won't come cheap in the summer window.

Manchester World reported last month United would need to sell Antony for £32.52 million this summer in order not to make a loss on the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules. It still looks a little too high for a side to pay, but his impressive form at Betis should see them raise closer to that figure than they would have done if a fixed fee was included in the loan deal.

United might be better off sending him out on another loan move at the end of the season, either with the option or obligation for a permanent sale, given the figure they’d need to sell him for would be lower in a year.

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