Back when Manchester United paid 100M Euros to sign Antony from Ajax, the whole world couldn’t stop buzzing about the exciting Brazilian talent who had set the Eredivisie alight with his brilliant roulettes, dribbles and first touch. But not more than 2 months after joining the Red Devils, Antony was labelled as a flop and rarely ever saw the football pitch, with him being a substitute during matches at best.
Soon becoming a centre of attraction for Internet trolls, the once big-money signing of Manchester United started being ridiculed for being the shadow of the player he was for Ajax. And while Manchester United’s atmosphere as a club currently is a huge reason, so is the playstyle that is prevalent in the English Premier League. The Brazilian right winger has finally packed up his bags in England and moved to Spain during the ongoing Winter Transfer Window to play for the Andalusian giants Real Betis. The change of scenery would undoubtedly do a world of good to the 24-year-old and we might even see the best of the eccentric winger in Spain.
Currently, Real Betis has a great team with a young attack consisting of the Moroccan Right Winger, Abde Ezzazouli and the FC Barcelona Loanee from Brazil Vitor Roque. Antony would be able to make a place for himself in the first relatively fast and start on the right wing completing this interesting 3 forked attack. Furthermore, the tactical and skilful playstyle that is prevalent in La Liga will suit Antony’s playing style much better as it has been historically the case for Brazilian players.
La Liga’s attack-minded yet free-flowing football with in-depth tactical plays has been a perfect platform for skilful Brazilian players. The list of such players mostly playing for the two top clubs in Spain, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, is very long. It consists of names such as Ronaldinho, Neymar, Rivaldo etc in the past and Raphinha, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo to name a few in the present.
Hence, his move to Real Betis could very well bring out the best in Antony, something that we never experienced at Manchester United.
