Antony's market value drops below £34m after £85.5m Man United flop and Betis revival

Antony’s market value has collapsed to £34m, less than 40% of the £85.5m Manchester United paid Ajax for him in 2022, according to Transfermarkt. The fee remains the highest in Eredivisie history, yet the winger’s Old Trafford career ended with just 12 goals and five assists across 96 appearances.

Signed by then-manager Erik ten Hag, Antony struggled to justify his price tag throughout his time at United. Ruben Amorim eventually sent him on loan to Real Betis midway through the 2024/25 season, a move that proved transformative. The 26-year-old scored nine goals and provided five assists in 26 games in Spain, helping Betis qualify for the Europa League and earning a permanent transfer the following summer for a fixed fee of £19m, with up to £2.6m in add-ons.

The revival continued in the 2025/26 campaign, where Antony posted the best goal-scoring season of his career — 14 goals in 46 games — as Betis qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 21 years.

Reflecting on his departure from Manchester, Antony told ESPN Brazil that leaving was among the best decisions he has made. “It was one of the best decisions of my life to stay at Betis. I am very happy. My family weighed heavily in the decision. Seeing them happy is important. It makes things lighter on the pitch when the family is well.”

The Brazilian also opened up about the mental toll of his difficult spell in England, admitting he came close to losing belief in himself. Speaking to the Brazilian FA, he said: “During the difficult time I went through, I even doubted myself. I thought I wouldn’t get through that situation. My family always told me to calm down. ‘Calm down, this is the process,’ they told me. The process is painful, and we have to accept it.”

He added that the experience ultimately shaped him. “Today I look back and see that this process was necessary. I feel like a much more mature person, much more prepared. I feel like a better father, a better husband, and a better man. It was worth it.”

For United, Antony’s trajectory stands as a cautionary tale about record-fee signings. The club recouped just £19m of their original outlay, and the player’s current Transfermarkt valuation of £34m — while a recovery from his nadir — still represents a significant paper loss on one of the most expensive transfers in Premier League history.