Manchester United attacker Antony's agent has said that he 'completely disagrees' with the claims of Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim when it comes to his client's struggles at Old Trafford.
Antony left Man United on loan in January to join Real Betis, and he has been in excellent form for the La Liga outfit, scoring three times and registering two assists in seven appearances for the club in all competitions.
Amorim recently claimed that Antony's lack of physicality had played a big role in him struggling to make his mark in Manchester.
"When you play against any team in England, the physicality is there. If you don't have physicality, you will struggle a lot," the Man United head coach told TNT Sports.
"Antony is so much better now in Spain. It's [because of] a lot of factors but I guarantee you it's physicality."
However, Antony's agent has hit back at the Portuguese's claims, insisting that his comments 'do not reflect reality'.
© Imago
Antony's agent hits back at Man United head coach Amorim
"We respect the opinion of coach Ruben Amorim, but we completely disagree with his analysis [of the winger]," Pedroso told Marca. "To attribute Antony's lack of success at Manchester United solely to the question of physicality is a very superficial argument and does not reflect reality.
"The truth is that Antony has not had enough prominence or the confidence necessary to play his best football. Of the 15 games in which Amorim managed Manchester United, he only used Antony in nine, with a total of 252 minutes played. This represents only 18.6% of the total possible minutes (1,350 minutes). How can you judge an athlete without a minimum sequence to prove his worth?
"The manager's statement, although perhaps it was not his intention, ends up devaluing La Liga and the Spanish competitions. Spanish football has one of the most competitive leagues in the world, with top-level teams that constantly compete in the final stages of the Champions League and the Europa League.
"The reality is that Antony, since he arrived at Real Betis, has become one of the best players in the team and in the competition itself, demonstrating his full potential when given the right conditions to develop his game.
"This highlights that the problem was not the physicality, but the context and the way he was managed in Manchester. Many players who do not prosper at United find success at other clubs, which leads us to wonder if the problem really lies with the players."
© Imago
Will Antony join Real Betis on a permanent basis?
Antony has allegedly decided that he wants to spend at least one more season with Real Betis.
Speaking to Canal Sur, Real Betis CEO Ramon Alarcon said: "The other day Antony told me that he wanted to stay another year. The player is very comfortable here and was surprised by the facilities we gave him to settle in the city as soon as he arrived."
However, another loan deal is unlikely, and the Seville outfit may ultimately be priced out of a summer move.
Man United would allegedly want in the region of £41m for Antony this summer, while Real Betis would struggle to afford the £140,000-a-week salary that the player is on at Old Trafford.
Antony made the move to the 20-time English champions from Ajax in the summer of 2022, and he has scored 12 goals and registered five assists in 96 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Matt Law
