Antony has revealed that prior to signing for Manchester United in 2022, he was on the verge of joining arch-rivals Liverpool.At the time he was being pursued by the Red Devils, he had been establishi...
Antony has revealed that prior to signing for Manchester United in 2022, he was on the verge of joining arch-rivals Liverpool.
At the time he was being pursued by the Red Devils, he had been establishing himself as an exhilarating forward in Europe, so it’s no surprise Liverpool were also in the mix to try and snap him up.
Why United ended up signing Antony over Liverpool
Ultimately, United succumbed to Ajax’s demands, forking out a ludicrous £82 million fee to prise Antony from Amsterdam and have him reunite with Erik ten Hag in his maiden season as manager.
Four months later, Liverpool facilitated the arrival of Cody Gakpo, whom United had also been targeting before prioritising the Brazilian instead.
To say Antony didn’t have the desired effect in a red shirt is an understatement.
In the two-and-a-half seasons he was at Ten Hag’s and, subsequently, Amorim’s disposal, he racked up 96 appearances, returning a measly 12 goals and five assists in all competitions.
Antony has revived his stagnant career in La Liga
Antony will be spending the coming seasons plying his trade in Spain. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
He then packed his bags and headed to Seville midway through 2024/2025 to sign for Real Betis on loan, where he enjoyed a revitalised run of form in a league more catered to his abilities.
Keen to finally wash their hands of their lacklustre investment, United pushed to sanction Antony’s exit permanently over the summer window, eventually agreeing a deal worth around £21.6m in total.
It’s safe to say Liverpool will have since taken solace in the fact they failed in their move for the 25-year-old, whilst United should’ve learnt not to be coaxed into forking out such absurd transfer fees for relatively unproven players.
Nonetheless, Antony has reflected on his failed Anfield switch in recent days. He told ESPN Brazil: “I was very close to signing for Liverpool, but you never know what would have happened. In the end, I went to Manchester [United] and had great moments there, and that was a good choice as well.”
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