Man Utd face stumbling block in effort to send Antony on loan to Real Betis

Betis want Antony to move to Spain on a loan move until the end of the season

Antony has struggled to force his way into the Manchester United team this season (Zac Goodwin/PA)

Real Betis want to take Antony on loan from Manchester United but there is still a considerable distance in what proportion of the Brazilian’s wages the Spanish club will pay.

The Old Trafford hierarchy are intent on overhauling the squad, but they first need to clear the wage bill in order to meet restrictions from Profit and Sustainability Rules. Antony is on a vast salary, reported to be around £200,000 a week, having been handed a major contract after moving to Manchester from Ajax in 2022.

Betis are keen to take the 24-year-old on a temporary deal, but there is currently distance between the two clubs on how much of his salary will be paid by the Spanish club. United would naturally want Betis to pay the wages in their entirety, but that option isn’t currently on the table. There is hope that a deal will eventually be done.

United are 13th in the Premier League after sinking to a 3-1 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday. They have won only three of their 11 league games since Ruben Amorim started work as successor to the sacked Erik ten Hag, losing six of them, and the manager admitted his side might be the “worst” in the club’s history.