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News
- 1 hours ago
Antony branded a €95m flop – but Man Utd will make a PROFIT on him
Robin Bairner
- 30 Aug 2025 09:10 BST
- 4 min read
Analysis
Manchester United made a mistake when they spent €95 million on Ajax winger Antony back in 2022.
It was later claimed that then-manager Erik ten Hag tried to block the transfer, with the Brazil winger posting an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of around €35m at the point.
His numbers since moving to Man Utd have backed up the analysis that they dramatically overspent on him. Antony scored 12 goals in two-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford before a loan to Real Betis in January.
Current ETV
Antony
M, AM (R)
Man Utd
Antony
M, AM (R)
Man Utd
ETV Range
€37.2M - €45.5M
His Spanish spell acted as a springboard to get back towards his best. He scored nine goals in 28 appearances, becoming a darling of the fans.
Now Real Betis want to keep him but financially there are issues. Man Utd want to recoup as much of their €95m outlay as possible, a figure simply unimaginable to the Sevilla club, who will also have a hard time with the player’s wages.
But despite all this, talks are ongoing, and a possibility that could see both sides satisfied has emerged. Man Utd might even technically make a transfer profit on Antony in the end.
According to Sky Sports, a deal worth €29m plus a 50% sell-on clause has been agreed.
Here’s why it’s a good deal for United.
How Man Utd can still profit from Antony
Man Utd stand to make a profit on Antony – from an accountancy point of view, in any case.
With two years of his initial €95m fee still to be amortised in the books, United officially still owe around €38m for him.
The deal with Real Betis is likely – in the long term – to be worth more than that. The €29m upfront fee chops a strong wedge of what United still owe on the player, but the kicker is the 50% sell-on fee.
Man Utd need to earn just €9m from this to put a profit on Antony in the books. Given his ETV currently stands at €41.3m, going up marginally since joining United, this appears to be a certainty.
Of course, it may be several seasons before this happens, which is the drawback of this agreement, but for Ruben Amorim’s men to make any type of profit on a player who has been one of the biggest flops in club history must count as something of a win.
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