Man United winger Antony wants to leave Old Trafford this summer and is open to a move to Saudi Arabia.
Steven is a senior writer and covers Manchester United for the Manchester Evening News. You can follow Steven on Twitter at @StevenRailston.
Saudi Arabian clubs have spent millions.(Image: 2023 Getty Images)
Over the weekend, Antony’s agent Junior Pedroso discussed his future and said: “What I can say is that the player is on the market, and there are several clubs that want to know his current status. We listen to the projects and analyse them. But he is open to moving to Saudi Arabia. Anything is possible.”
Antony’s return to Manchester United training was delayed at the beginning of July so he could explore a move away, and he was subsequently not included in the USA tour squad.
The winger is surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and must be sold for £32.8million for United to avoid making a PSR loss, which feels like a reasonable fee after his Real Betis loan.
Antony was a disaster in a United shirt, but he looked like a different player for Betis last season, scoring nine goals and playing a key role as they reached the Conference League final.
He found a new lease of life in Spain and is consequently a more attractive proposition this summer. Antony was on a downward spiral at United and has managed to arrest his slump.
However, when analysing the market, there may be just a handful of options for Antony in Europe. The clubs that would love to sign Antony cannot afford £32.8m. And the clubs that could afford the fee – the elite sides in Europe – aren’t interested in him.
Most European football clubs are in a financial pickle. Betis want to sign Antony permanently, for example, but they would have to break their transfer record to do so.
Antony is looking to leave United.(Image: 2025 Jonathan Moscrop)
So it was not surprising to see Antony’s agent confirm that his client would be open to a move to Saudi Arabia, a transfer market United have underutilised.
Saudi Arabia are diversifying their economy to reduce their dependence on oil and sport has been targeted. The Saudis have pumped millions into boxing and Saudi Pro League clubs have spent well over £1billion on transfers over the last few years.
There have been accusations of sportswashing, of course, but Premier League clubs have cashed in, selling players to Saudi teams for the type of transfer fees that European clubs can’t match.
Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Fabinho and Aleksandar Mitrovic are just some of the names who have moved to the Kingdom in multi-million transfers from Premier League sides.
But United haven’t taken advantage of selling to Saudi clubs like some of their rivals. Their only sale to the region was Alex Telles to Al Nassr for around £4m in the summer of 2023.
Al-Hilal were prepared to make a huge offer to sign Bruno Fernandes this summer, but United wanted to keep the 30-year-old, who decided to continue in the Premier League.
It’s easier said than done, but United would ideally sell players to Saudi Arabia on their terms. Those opportunities are hard to come by, but Antony is the perfect candidate to ship out to the Kingdom for a decent fee.
Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City have all benefited from the Saudi gravy train in the last few years, and it’s about time United exported a player to that market for a multi-million fee.
United have famously not been great sellers in the transfer market and that must change with Ineos in charge of football operations. Building relations with club chiefs in Saudi Arabia wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
Antony is a sellable asset after his Betis loan and Saudi Arabia could be his next destination.