Manchester United flop Antony revealed how he almost ended up at Premier League rivals Liverpool before his ill-fated move to Old Trafford.
Antony is one of several big-money signings who failed to provide a return on their investment after joining the Red Devils.
The Brazilian arrived at United with weighty expectations on his shoulders back in 2022, after he followed Erik ten Hag from Ajax for an eye-watering £82million fee.
And despite showing early signs of promise, Antony ended his first Premier League campaign with only four goals and scored just the solitary goal the season after in a campaign hampered by off-field issues.
The arrival of Ruben Amorim at United failed to revive Antony’s fortunes, with the winger given just 252 minutes of game time under the Portuguese coach before being deemed surplus to requirements.
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Antony was eventually given a fresh start on loan at Real Betis for the second half of last season, where a productive six months saw him score nine goals in 26 appearances and help the Spanish side reach the Europa Conference League final.
And despite being made to wait all summer, Antony was able to close the chapter on his wretched time at United when a £21.65 million permanent move back to Betis was finalised on deadline day.
Few will look back on Antony’s time at United with fond memories, but it could have been an entirely different story for the Brazilian, who came close to a move to United’s arch-rivals back in 2022.
With Mohamed Salah forward over a contract extension, the Reds began to sound out possible replacements, with reports suggesting Jurgen Klopp was keen to sign Antony off the back of his performances at Ajax.
The Egyptian ultimately extended his stay at Anfield, but Antony said a move to Merseyside was ‘very close’.
‘I was very close to signing for Liverpool, but you never know what would have happened,’ he told Koora earlier in the year.
‘In the end, I went to Manchester and had great moments there, and that was a good choice as well.’
Antony’s agent, Junior Pedroso, also confirmed that his client came close to joining Liverpool, telling winwin.com: ‘Yes, this story has a basis in truth.
‘Salah renewed his contract at the time with Liverpool, and that made Antony’s move to Liverpool impossible.’
Even before his return to Betis this summer, Antony was still attracting interest from top European clubs, but the winger said his only desire was to return to the Spanish club after his productive loan spell.
‘I spoke with Bayern, I don’t know if it [the salary offer] was €7 million, but I said I had Betis’ word and that it was 95 per cent closed and that I would respect my word,’ he told Cadena COPE in September.
‘I feel calm about making this decision because I am very happy here. More than five teams called me.’
Antony has picked up where he left off at Betis this season, scoring five goals in his first ten league games for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
And despite looking back to his best away from Old Trafford, the 25-year-old insisted he still has no regrets about his frustrating spell in the English top flight.
‘If I went there, it was because God wanted me to be there, to learn and to go through the things I went through,’ he told ESPN Brazil.
‘Today, I feel a much better man as well as a father. Before I signed for United, yes, I was close to signing for Liverpool. Everything has a ‘why’ and I don’t just look at the negative times I had there, because I also won titles and had great experiences.
‘So, I don’t regret it. I am a man who accepts my responsibilities. I think off-field matters affected me a lot, in my performance. I know my potential, I know my qualities, I didn’t play in a World Cup for nothing, I didn’t return to the national team for nothing.
‘I also take responsibility for it not working out, for not performing as I wanted. But I always try to see the bright side of things, going through this entire process, this time at United, was necessary to see myself.’
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