antony has confirmed he spoke with Bayern Munich before completing his move from Manchester United to Real Betis but chose the Spanish club because he had given them his word and wanted a place where he could be happy again.
- Antony confirms he spoke with Bayern Munich the day before his Betis transfer was finalised but honoured a prior commitment to Betis.
- He said he chose Betis because he needed a place to rebuild personally and professionally and does not regret the decision.
- Reporting states the permanent move was completed on deadline day 2025 for a reported €22m after a loan spell at Betis.
What Antony said
The winger told Spanish radio Cope that he discussed Bayern the day before his Betis move was finalised. He said he could not confirm specific financial terms of Bayern’s approach but made clear he had already promised Betis that “everything was 95 percent done” and would keep his word. Antony described his decision as one taken from “respect, affection” and the knowledge that he would be happy at Betis, adding he felt calm about turning Bayern down and referring to Bayern as “one of the three best clubs in the world.” (Goal.com report of Antony’s Cope interview.)
Confirmed facts about the transfer
- Antony completed a permanent transfer from Manchester United to Real Betis on deadline day in 2025 for a reported €22 million and signed until 2030, according to reporting referenced in the evidence packet.
- He had already spent the second half of the 2024–25 season on loan at Betis and wanted to remain there, the reporting notes.
- Antony’s move followed a turbulent period at Manchester United; he joined United from Ajax in 2022 for a fee reported at €95 million but struggled to meet expectations.
Was Bayern’s interest confirmed?
Reporting indicates Bayern Munich did make enquiries late in the window. Antony himself confirmed he spoke with Bayern the day before his Betis deal was finalised but left unclear whether Bayern’s approach was a loan or permanent bid. Other contemporaneous reporting cited in the packet says Bayern ultimately signed Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea during that window; club rules late in the market reportedly favoured loan deals. The sources do not provide an official Bayern statement confirming the precise nature or value of any offer for Antony.
Why the decision mattered for Antony
Antony later told German outlet Bild he does not regret choosing Betis and that he and his family made the decision together. He said he had been in a difficult personal phase and needed “a place where I could be happy again — not just as a player but as a person.” Transfermarkt’s write-up of that interview notes Antony’s improved form at Betis — 23 goals and 15 assists in 72 appearances are recorded in the cited report — and a recovered market value listed there at €40m (peak €75m in 2022).
Context: Bayern’s late-window activity and Betis’s position
Clubs often enter intense negotiation activity on deadline day; the evidence packet describes Bayern exploring several wide options late in the window, including Ademola Lookman, Lois Openda and Franculino Dju, before signing Jackson on loan for a reported €16.5m fee. The reporting also highlights that Betis and Antony negotiated for weeks before resolving contract terms — reportedly complicated by Antony’s United wages — and that Betis secured him permanently with a transfer that included United retaining a sell-on percentage, per the Transfermarkt summary.
What this means for the clubs and the player
- For Betis: Securing Antony permanently after a loan spell kept a player who had already adapted to their system and reportedly boosted his output and market value, according to the cited summaries.
- For Bayern: The club pursued multiple options late in the window and ultimately chose a different solution for their wide positions; the available sources do not show Bayern lodging a formal, public declaration about Antony’s situation.
- For Antony: He presents the move as a career reset chosen for personal as well as sporting reasons, and subsequent reporting cited here records improved performances in Seville.
Timeline of the key events (as reported)
- January 2025: Antony moves on loan from Manchester United to Real Betis for the second half of the 2024–25 season.
- Summer 2025, deadline day: Antony completes a permanent transfer to Real Betis for a reported €22m; Manchester United are said to have retained a sell-on clause in later summaries.
- The day before Betis deal finalised: Antony spoke to Bayern Munich; he later said he honoured his promise to Betis and declined Bayern’s approach (source: Antony’s Cope interview, reported by Goal).
- Also on the last day of the window: Bayern sign Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea; other wide-player targets were reportedly explored by Bayern in the run-up (reported in the evidence packet).
Disagreements and limits of the reporting
The evidence packet contains Antony’s account and third‑party summaries. It does not include a public statement from Bayern confirming the specifics of any offer, so whether Bayern made a formal loan or permanent proposal remains unconfirmed. Figures such as reported transfer fees, sell-on percentages and wages are drawn from the cited outlets and are not independently verified in the packet.
Practical implications and what’s next
From a sporting perspective, Antony’s permanent stay at Betis keeps a wide attacking option available to their manager and gives the player a stable environment in which the cited reports say he has rebuilt form. For Bayern, the late-window reshuffle resulted in alternative additions rather than the acquisition of Antony. Fans and analysts will judge the wisdom of the decision over coming seasons based on Antony’s consistency, Betis’s results and any future transfer activity surrounding the player.
G3.Football will monitor any official club statements or new primary-source interviews that provide further detail on Bayern’s approach or contract terms related to Antony’s move.